


Legacy

by firegrilled



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Disease au, Drama, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Greek life shenanigans, Homophobic Language, Humor, M/M, Researcher!Marco, Rich kid!Jean, Slow Build, Stupidity, a dash of everyone finding love, domestic JM when they get there
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-11
Updated: 2015-12-16
Packaged: 2018-03-17 09:21:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 93,973
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3524009
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/firegrilled/pseuds/firegrilled
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Being a Kirschtein means commanding the respect of the community, having the money to rub in people's faces, and possessing the intelligence to keep the family legacy thriving. And Jean wants absolutely nothing to do with that. Except maybe the respect.</p><p>Legacy follows Jean, Marco and their friends as they stumble through college and different challenges for all of them. Between parental pressure, disease, awkwardness, and just shitty situations, these kids find love and bond together and learn to live for themselves and make their own future.</p><p>A story with enough fluff to cushion the angst and humor to keep everyone sane in between.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Meeting the Roomies

Light bathed the pristine and white bedroom in a warm glow that was lost on the college kid rummaging through his dresser in a panic. He let out a heavy breath before shoving his arms into the drawer and pulling out a pile of socks and underwear. The gangly teen marched over to his giant bed with a determination that would make Sherman proud, ignoring the collateral damage that fell out of his arms during his brief but messy journey. The mountain of undergarments were piled next to the rest of the kid’s wardrobe on the expansive bed before he bolted from the room.

“Shit shit shit…” he repeated as he jumped stairs down to the laundry room. He grinned as he found his prize, grabbing it and retreating at the same rushed pace to his room.

“Language, Jean!” a firm voice reminded from the kitchen.

“Yes, sir,” Jean replied.

He began stuffing as much clothes as he could organize into the basket he retrieved. Laundry baskets were a saving grace for college kids and right now Jean Kirschtein needed all his blessings if he was going to have all his belongings packed in time for his friend to whisk him away from his house. Underwear? Check. Socks? Check. Shirts, pants, hoodie and light jacket? Check, check, check, and check. School supplies and decorations? Different story.

Jean gazed around his room and started throwing whatever pencils, pens and notebooks he could find into his backpack. Soon he had a backpack full of leftover school supplies from high school. He turned to gather his decorations but remained in place. The room was as barren as any hospital room he had seen- complete with snow white walls and the same choking atmosphere. At least hospitals had the courtesy to decorate their rooms with cheesy motivational posters or a stuffed animal to compliment the starchy beds. Jean’s room was more comfortable and lavish than any hospital room, but it still had the personality of a loaf of wonder bread.

He finally walked over to his dresser to grab the one thing in the room that could be called a decoration. Jean picked up a family photo from almost a decade earlier. He was at the center of the photo on his mother’s lap wearing an uncharacteristically large grin on his pudgy face, while his father stood behind his mother in his formal work attire. Jean was dressed like a mini-version of his father while his mom had a dress that covered most her figure, and a jacket that covered her arms. He smiled as he ran a finger over the picture of his mother. How things had changed since that day ten years earlier. Jean was no longer the pudgy little rich kid. His face had sharpened during puberty and he shot up like a weed. The only thing that remained the same was his long brown hair that he kept perpetually hidden in his dark green beanie. 

“Jean! Your friend is waiting for you in the driveway!” the same firm voice called from the doorway. Jean threw the picture on the top of the basket before turning to face the man of the house. His father stood with his arms crossed, leaning on the wooden frame. He was dressed in the same clothes that he took that picture in, but wrinkles had started taking place on the edges of his eyes and forehead. The silvery wired-frame glasses rested loosely on his nose as he stared at his son. “How long do you plan on keeping Connie waiting?”

“And here I thought you wanted me to stay,” Jean rolled his eyes as he mentally cursed. He had all he was planning to grab and slipped on his backpack.

“Yes, after all I don’t want to pay for you to live on campus when you could easily continue commuting,” his father mimicked his eye roll.

“Good thing you don’t then. Scholarships are good for something,” Jean reminded his dad. He retrieved his laundry basket from the bed and walked to the doorway, but his father remained unmoved.

“I don’t know why you insist on keeping those either. You could easily have it all paid for since I work there. You know the science building is name after me, right?” his father smiled.

“Pretty sure it’s named after grandpa,” the teen frowned.

“Well it might as well be named after me once this research project finishes,” the man smiled before walking out into the hall.

“I’m sure they’d like to add your face next to grandpa’s portrait,” Jean sarcastically agreed.

“And then yours will be next to mine in due time. Keep the Kirschtein legacy proud!” his father laughed heartily. They walked in joyful silence as Jean glanced at the numerous doors in the hall. His eyes hooked onto a closed door that reeled him in, freezing him as his father kept walking down the hall.

“Should I say goodbye?” he inquired to the door.

“Let her rest. You’ll see her the next time you come home,” his father answered. Jean remained a few seconds longer before walking to rejoin his father, noting the change in his father’s expression. The joyful silence fell into a tense atmosphere until they reached the front door. The summer day sucked out the silence as soon as the door opened and brought a refreshing change of scenery. In the driveway a rusty station wagon parked, contrasting with the surrounding neighborhood of big houses and top tier cars. It was Jean’s beacon in the night and his ticket to freedom.

Lying on the hood of the car was Jean’s best friend and occasional chauffer Connie Springer. Jean’s friend was enjoying the warm noon sun and looked like he had found nirvana. A giant smile was etched on his face and his eyes remain closed as Jean and his father exited the house and approached the car. Connie’s beanie was pulled partially over his eyes and his hands rested behind his head.

“Morning,” Jean greeted his friend.

“Afternoon, sunshine,” Connie replied, his eyes opening to stare at his friend. “Morning was when we were supposed to meet.”

“It’s like 12 so it’s still morning,” Jean scowled.

“12:07 makes it afternoon soooooo…” Connie smiled as he readjusted his beanie. The scowl met the grin but eventually the grin won. Jean cracked a smile as Connie opened the trunk for his buddy’s stuff.

“Jean,” his father called out.

“Yes father?” the teen struggled to hold his groan.

“Thank Connie for coming to get you,” his dad reminded him.

“Thanks Connie,” Jean groaned.

“I don’t know, that didn’t seem too convincing. What do you think Mr. Kirschtein?” Connie asked.

“I think you’re right,” Jean’s father agreed.

“I dislike you both,” Jean groaned as he shoved the laundry basket in the trunk. He followed with his backpack before slamming it shut.

“Hey, watch it! Shelly doesn’t appreciate being abused,” Connie rubbed his car affectionately.

“She’ll forgive me when I cover gas again,” Jean defended himself.

“Shelly loves her sugar daddy,” Connie whispered back, his grin growing wider. Jean rolled his eyes and shook hands with his father.

“Take care of Jaime and mother,” his stiff tone souring the goodbye.

“Don’t do anything foolish but still enjoy yourself. That’s what college is for afterall,” Mr. Kirschtein advised before turning to Connie. “Keep an eye on my son.”

“I’ll be right next to him most the time, sir,” Connie saluted as he entered the car.

Jean waved one more time to his father as the station wagon pulled out of his driveway. Soon the ritzy neighborhood shrank into the rearview mirror and a smile crept into the corners of Jean’s mouth. He was finally free from the cell that was his house in the prison of glamor and wealth. He finally could be with his friends on campus, normal and happy for once. 

“So what did you forget?” Connie inquired.

“What? I didn’t forget anything,” Jean denied.

“Okay. What do you need to buy?”

“Bed sheets and some decorations.”

“What sugar daddy wants sugar daddy gets,” Connie laughed, earning another groan from his passenger. Being friends with Connie was one thing but living with him and putting up with his shit all semester was going to be a different story for Jean. Out of the frying pan and into the fire. A pot smoking, Smash Brothers playing, shit talking fire.

Shelly, as he insisted his car be called, arrived at a Target nearby the college campus. Close enough that a drive was a convenient and common trip, but far enough away that college students wouldn’t dare walk to it. Jean exited the car and did nothing to hide his contempt for his friend’s parking ability. At least this time the station wagon only took two spots instead of the usual three or four.

“You’re improving,” Jean commented as the door shut behind him.

“And you’re still paying for gas,” Connie laughed. “Are we stating the obvious still?”

“Remind me to never compliment you again,” the brunet mumbled.

“Sure,” Connie continued to smile, adjusting his hair under his beanie. “Remind me why daddy dearest isn’t buying this for you?”

“Have you seen my dad’s taste in clothing? He’s been wearing the same suit for the last 15 years. His idea for bedding would be free sheets from the University Hospital. No thanks,” Jean cringed. 

“Can’t get laid on itchy bedding,” Connie nodded along. Jean pulled a cart from some nearby bushes and dusted it off. No more than two seconds passed before Connie jumped into the cart. Jean ignored the pair of legs dangling over the edge of the cart as they entered the store. “Not that you’re getting any action.”

“I could if I wanted to,” Jean grumbled, not denying his friend’s accusation.

That had Connie laughing his ass off in the cart. He only paused to observe the check out and smiled when he saw a familiar shade of blond before returning to his laughter. Jean did his best to ignore his friend as he carted the helpless idiot around the store. It took a few minutes before Connie calmed down enough to make coherent words.

“Oh that was the best laugh I had all day,” the kid wiped tears from his eyes.

“Well fuck you too.”

“Sorry it’s just… two years and nada.”

“Like you’re getting anywhere outside your videogames.”

“When I become champion all the ladies will be mine,” Connie raised his hands in mock victory. Jean ran the cart into a shelf and sent Connie’s head into his knees. Jean walked over to the sheets and started picking some out. “Dick move, Jean Kirschtein, dick move.”

“What’s that? I can’t hear you over the sound of sheets that will broken-in by my girlfriend and I,” Jean played deaf. Connie resumed his laughter before being pelted in the face by a red set of sheets.

“Ooh, 500 thread count. Me likey,” his comment muffled by the sheets. Jean picked out a matching blue set before returning to his friend.

“Get drool on that and Shelly isn’t getting gas,” he threatened his friend.

“It’s not like Mikasa will actually see these,” Connie taunted, earning some blue bedding to the face. “Two years!”

“Shut up,” Jean growled as he kicked the cart.

“And with Eren in the room, good luck!” Connie chuckled. Jean chose to ignore his friend and started towards the posters. The least he could do to look normal like a normal college student was to have something hanging from his walls. White walls were the bane of his existence up until now and there was no way he was going back to a barren room.

“Jaeger can deal with whoever I bring home, Mikasa included,” Jean replied as he sifted through some movie posters. Despite the urge to cover his walls from floor to ceiling in anything but white, he could not find anything that he liked in the stack of posters.

“Them’s fighting words,” Connie joked in a terrible southern accent, while he placed one of the bed sheets behind his head. He watched Jean meticulously go through the stacks of posters and let his grin die down millimeter by millimeter for every poster Jean put down without even considering. 

“Why are these all terrible?” Jean finally flung the stack of posters without any thought to damaging the poor things.

“Probably because you’re looking in the discount rack,” Connie pointed to the big sale sign with giant red letters announcing 90% off.

“Oh.”

“If I were me, which I am, I’d look for classics like Mario and Donkey Kong.”

“But I am not you.”

“Right! So I’d move my pretentious ass to the art section for some abstract or modern bullshit.”

Jean stared at his friend and opened his mouth to return the insult, but shut it when he realized Connie may have had a point.

“Fuck you,” Jean thanked.

Several wrong turns, one or two accidental cart crashes, and fifteen minutes later Jean had a small pile of posters that at least looked classy to decorate his room with. He even let Connie talk him into a mystery poster, a decision he knew he would regret in about thirty minutes when they returned to the dorm. On the way towards the exit Connie started whining like a sad puppy and kept shifting the cart to the right. Eventually Jean turned his head to see the commotion and noticed the beer and liquor section.

“What? Did you finally stop being thrifty and get a fake?” Jean was curious.

“Hell no,” Connie proudly announced. “Our blond buddy is up front. How did you miss him?”

“I was defending my honor.”

“Or lack thereof.”

When it came to conversation like these with Connie, Jean knew when it was not worth fighting and chose to let the insult end there. Fighting his friend could only lead to worse things.

“So what did you have in mind for tonight?” Jean asked as he turned the cart a little too sharply into the aisle. Connie flipped in the cart and landed on his side. Connie pulled himself up and out of the cart, careful to avoid the posters.

“I’m thinking bourbon for Mario Kart,” Connie smiled as he found the cheapest thing on the shelf.

Jean scowled and grabbed the nearest thing he liked. “You enjoy that. I’ll be classy.”

“Nothing says classy like boxed wine. Right.”

With the basic college supplies on hand, Jean and Connie navigated through the crowds of back to school parents and their annoying brats. By the time they made it to the checkout line they were both ready to cry. Even with it being early in the day, and a Thursday nonetheless, the lines were all backed up. Connie squinted into the mass of people to search for blond hulk that should stand out even in the mob of mothers and misfits.

“Oh hell yeah!” Connie grabbed the cart and pulled it though the mass of people, earning more than a few insults hurled his way, but Jean chose the delicate route and tried to go around the crowd without touching anyone. By some miracle Connie had scored a spot at the front of the lane.

“Hey guys,” the gruff cashier greeted the two, tying his red apron behind his back.

“Sup, Reiner,” Connie replied while Jean unloaded the cart. Reiner stood several inches above Jean and almost a foot over Connie, but it was his muscles that made him imposing. Jean had never seen the kid without looking like a professional strongman. Reiner’s muscles easily filled out his shirt and made it seem like the piece of clothing was ready to bust at any moment. And Reiner never skipped leg day.

“Same old, same old,” the blond gave his best award winning smile, mentally taking note of all the items he scanned.

“How many single mothers today?” Jean inquired.

“Three and a half and it’s not even halfway through my shift,” the blond behemoth laughed.

“How do you-“

“One started flirting before her child yelled at her out of embarrassment. Lovely high school student, I think,” the cashier interrupted, only pausing a moment to recall. He resumed scanning the posters that were now filling bags at the end of his lane. “So who’s decorating the dorm floor? Jaeger?”

Connie shook his head and snickered at Jean’s pale face. “Jeanboy is finally moving in with us.”

“But I thought your room was full?”

“It was. Thomas pledged to one of the frats and they’re making the pledges move in for the semester. He moved out before any of us knew what happened.”

“Fraternity must be desperate if all the pledges have to move in. At least we give our pledges the option,” Reiner posited as he arrived at the alcohol. He paused and glanced at the two kids in front of him. “I’m going to have to see some ID.”

Connie stepped forward and handed a card to his blond buddy. “This should do.”

Reiner stared at the card, then back to Connie, then back at the card. He cracked a smile and handed it back to his friend. “Yup. Totally clear.”

Jean looked over Connie’s shoulder to see what he gave Reiner and slapped his forehead. Connie had the balls to hand Reiner a library card.

“Thanks, best buddy,” Connie smiled as the register rang the price. Jean stepped forward and handed his card over to the blond cashier.

“You know you should consider us if you wanna pledge this year,” Reiner looked at his friends. “I’m not going to take the ‘I got to get my GPA solid’ excuse again.”

“And deal with bros all day long? No thanks,” Connie quickly dismissed the thought. Jean merely shrugged and he grabbed the bags.

“We aren’t all bros. We’re a brotherhood,” Reiner went on the defense. “Even if you aren’t considering us you should still come by the house this weekend. We got a welcome party and you don’t have to commit or anything. Also free alcohol.”

“I’m in,” Connie declared.

“What about you, Kirschtein? I know you come from a Greek family,” Reiner laughed.

“What are you talking about? He’s about as French as French could be. He practically exudes assholery,” Connie teased. 

Jean replied with a swift punch to Connie’s shoulder before facing his blond friend. “I was planning on checking it out, with or without Mr. Man-bun over here.”

“Don’t disrespect the bun!” Connie snapped, his fingers absently fidgeting with his beanie.

“Looking forward to it. Now get out of my line. I have more single ladies to court,” Reiner motioned them away before giving the lady in line behind the boys a wink. She practically swooned over to Reiner as Connie and Jean left.

The drive back to campus was relatively peaceful with Connie singing whatever popped on the radio. Jean stared out the window and at the dark green trees that the car past on the way to the dorm. Jean shot a message to his future roommates about their proximity to the campus and let a small smile creep onto his face. He would be living with his three friends and finally on campus. One year late, but better now than never. The trees of Sina eventually gave away to the clearing where the campus was located. Jean ignored the old architecture that garnered Sina its ‘classic university appeal’ and ‘atmosphere of sophisticated education’. With as much tuition the students pay to attend the prestigious college, Jean could only guess how much of it went to bribing magazines to describe their school with such loving descriptions.

Connie was more focused on the never ending stream of pop songs and missed the turn to his dorm several times, giving Jean more time to appreciate his friend’s voice. His appreciation lasted all of one minute before he punched Connie so he would actually reach the dorm. Even though he was moving in at the end of the week Jean still had class to attend to soon.

The old station wagon pulled to a stop in front of Sina’s oldest dorm, Stohess hall. It was recently renovated to make the accommodation inside better but the outside was five floors of brick and windows. Whatever classic appeal this building had Jean did not see or appreciate it. What he did like was the price tag of being the cheapest housing on campus. In the front of the building was a pair of blond and dark brown hair: Armin and Eren respectively.

Armin waved at them and Eren merely crossed his arms. In between the two was a cart that Connie had more than a few fun memories with. Jean jumped from the car as soon as it reached its stop and went to greet his two friends-now-roommates. “Hey guys!”

Excitement in Jean’s voice was unusual enough to catch both kids by surprise but they both smiled. At least someone was glad to move in with them. Connie’s mess and Eren’s interpersonal skills were generally enough to keep most people away but now they had Jean’s remarkable people skills to add the list.

Armin pushed the cart while Jean and Eren went to trunk that Connie was struggling to open. Eren gave Connie the extra muscle he needed and Shelly’s trunk popped wide open, full of Jean’s clutter.

“Someone’s a light packer,” Eren commented as he pulled out the laundry basket and placed it in the cart. “You guys bought more shit than he actually brought!”

“I don’t exactly have much,” Jean retorted, ignoring looks of incredulity his friends gave him. 

The blond grabbed some of the posters and Connie stole the bag of alcohol. He clutched it close to his chest like Gollum would with the ring. He only fell short of muttering ‘my precious’ but the guys could hear him mumbling something.

Soon the cart was filled with the sum total of Jean’s life and it was actually kind of sad. He could stuff his entire life into a laundry basket and a repurposed shopping cart. Armin pushed the cart to the door while Connie ran off to park his car. Eren stuck close to Armin to make sure one of the wheels on the cart did not give away while Jean ran ahead to call the slow elevator. The elevator had just enough space to fit all three of them and the cart. Jean was pinned against the wall with either friend stuck against the other walls.

“Fucking fifth floor,” Eren cursed as he punched the button. 

“Least we got a view,” Armin confessed as he ran a hand though his mop of blond hair. 

“Howdy!” Connie shouted at the trio as soon as the doors opened. Next thing Connie knew he was one with the floor and Jean was readjusting the cart that plowed him over.

“Yee-ha,” Jean spat as he exited the elevator with his two buddies. He stepped over Connie and stole his beanie along with the cart. Their friend remained laid out on the hall floor as Jean pushed his belongings to their room. Armin was quick and jumped ahead of the cart to unlock the door. Eren kept laughing his ass off in the meantime.

“That- that was perfect!” Eren was in hysterics. Armin ran back and helped Connie off the ground.

“Dick move, Jean!” he shouted.

“You’re the dick who shouted at us!” Jean growled back.

“And you took Barry!”

“Fuck your beanie!”

“Shush! Quiet hours!” a female voice boomed from the door next to their room.

“Sorry Mina!” Armin apologized as all four guys rushed into their room and locked the door behind them.

“And you went and pissed off the RA, nice job Kirschtein,” Eren groaned as he walked to a futon in the living room. He rubbed the scar on the bridge of his nose as he collapsed on the comfortable furniture. 

“Not my fault, Jaeger,” Jean shrugged as he pushed the cart towards an empty doorway in their dorm.

“Need some help?” Armin asked from the living room. Jean shook his head as he entered the room. He closed the door behind him for a moment of peace as he started unloading shit from his heavy backpack. He had just removed all the excess school supplies when his phone went off.

“What the shit?!” he jumped back. He pulled his smart phone out of his pocket and checked why he had an alarm set.

Class.

“Oh shit, guys! Anatomy!”

“What do you mean- oh its night already,” Eren commented from the living room. “Damn it, Armin!”

“What did I do?” he exclaimed as he sprinted to his room to grab his stuff. Jean heard the patter of more footsteps towards his side of the dorm while he pulled his backpack onto his shoulders.

“It’s what you didn’t do! Remind us about class!” Eren shouted from the other end of the dorm. Jean opened his door and found Connie glaring at him from the doorway, his shoulder brown length hair swaying behind him.

“Barry, now,” he commanded. Jean quirked an eyebrow before returning to the cart to grab the beanie.

“Here you go. Barry, guardian of the man-bun.”

“Don’t insult Barry. He has a very important job.” Connie grabbed the beanie and stomped over to his room next door. Jean returned to the living room in the center of the dorm to wait for his friends. Eren came out with his backpack hung lightly on his shoulders. Armin entered while pulling his heavy backpack along the floor. Finally Connie appeared and his hair up in its usual bun, before placing his beanie over his bun protectively. His backpack was nowhere.

“Not bringing anything?” Eren guessed as they started for the door.

“Nah. I got my brains.” Connie gestured to his head.

“The professor is going to castrate you,” Jean warned bounced down the stairs at a quick pace.

“He would if he didn’t have a boner for you,” Connie chuckled. Jean and Eren both paused for a moment, glanced at each other, and then shuddered,

“Never use that phrase about him ever again,” Eren groaned, bringing his red scarf up to his mouth.

“Fine, but he does hate Jean,” Mr. Man-bun clarified.

“Who doesn’t hate Kirschtein?”

“Exactly!” The two laughed at Jean’s expense. Armin shot him a sympathetic look as they walked briskly to their class.

The group of friends arrived early enough to try and hide in the back of the classroom. They beat the professor thankfully and began to get set up for class. Eren and Jean pulled out their notebooks, while Armin pulled out a three ring binder full of notes. Connie went the extra mile and planted his face flat on the desk. All murmuring in the class ceased when the door slammed open. The professor entered with just as much grace, leaning on his cane when necessary, but he was followed closely by a tall assistant. Jean raised an eyebrow at this sight.

“Special announcement today. We have a new TA joining the class and he’ll be in charge of your labs and homework. Treat him with the same respect as you would me, or you’ll be out of my class faster than you can say ‘Musculocutaneous Nerve’,” the humorless man began. “If you would please introduce yourself?”

The brown haired student cleared his throat and looked over the big class. “H-hi! My name is Marco Bodt and I look forward to assisting in your education!”


	2. Karma

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Connie learns to for every action, the universe likes to give equal and opposite reactions. Figuratively, of course.

The group of friends stared at the tall brown haired kid at the front of the class but couldn’t make out much more than that. They could assume he was big since he towered over the professor, not that it was really a challenge, but distance did a good job of keeping his other features hidden. The small man looked around the room like a hawk and zeroed in on his prey. Jean could feel the piercing stare of the professor, even far away in the back of lecture hall.

“Kirschtein, Jaeger! I have four open seats here in the front. Move it.” Eren and Jean bolted upright in their seats. Even Connie lifted his head from the desk. They grabbed their belongings and trudged slowly to the front of the room, ignoring all the looks on the other students’ faces. The professor kept a cold gaze on the four students until they sat down in the front row by the man’s desk. “Everyone else in the back rows better move closer or leave my lecture hall. Too many empty seats in the front for the back to be full.”

Jean glanced over at the new TA who was seated at the end of their row. He looked like a normal college student and could not have been that much older than them. Marco, as Jean recalled, was much more tan compared to anyone near him and freckles dusted his cheeks, nose, and even the parts of his neck Jean could see. Definitely not someone he recognized growing up in Sina. Exotic would be a stretch to call the TA, but different was a good word. Different in a refrshing way.

“Kirschtein, Springer,” the professor called out again. Both boys stiffened and stared at their professor.

“Yes, sir?” Connie squeaked. Jean would have laughed at his friend’s voice if he didn’t feel the cold gaze of death ten feet away.

“That’s ‘Levi, sir’ to you. Hats off in my class,” Levi corrected. The short man walked over to his desk, leaning on his cane ever slightly, as he logged into his computer . He placed the sculpted stick next to his computer and readjusted his bow tie.

Connie’s impeccable bun contrasted with Jean’s mop of brown hair when the beanies came off. Jean felt like he was being watched and noticed the new TA staring in his direction for a little before returning his eyes to the notebook in front of him. He shrugged it off as curiosity before turning his attention to his half-filled notebook.

Class proceeded as normal with Jean half taking notes and half doodling, Connie passed out on the desk, and Eren writing down every word the short man professed to the room. Armin was in what Jean affectionately called ‘Predator Mode’, analyzing all the word’s on the powerpoint and in the lecture but only pounced on the useful and important ones. He had a talent for getting only important information and that made him a sought after study partner. Jean was halfway through his doodle of Levi with devil horns when a cane slammed on the floor. Connie lived up to his last name and jumped awake.

“Pop quiz. Bodt, if you would be so kind? I’ll be right back,” Levi pointed to a stack of sheets on the corner of his desk before walking towards the exit. The TA practically tripped on himself as he rushed to the quizzes. Jean chuckled at the clumsy display. This guy was either enthusiastic or new. Or both.

The quiz was pretty short and only covered the basics from their first week of class. Jean breezed through the questions before double checking and flipping the paper over. He noticed Connie was already sleeping on his paper and Armin had his sheet resting at the corner of the row, ready to turn in. Only Eren looked like he was struggling. Jean glanced at the paper and noticed Eren was struggling on the first question still.

_What is the difference between anatomy and physiology?_

“Really, Jaeger?” Jean whispered, eyes darting between the door and the TA. “The thing this class is about?”

“Shut your mouth, Kirschtein,” Eren growled back.

Jean watched as Eren finished the other questions before returning to the first. He let his roommate struggle and a smug grin appeared on his face. “Form versus function.”

“I fucking know that.” Jean gave a satisfied smirk while Eren quickly got his answer down. The door flew open and slammed into the wall. Levi glanced around the lecture hall as he slowly returned to his desk.

“Five minutes. Bodt, collect the completed quizzes.” Levi ordered. The freckled giant jumped from his seat and proceeded to go up and down the rows on the hunt. Marco practically danced from person to person collecting the finished papers, a constant smile plastered on his face. Jean followed him with his eyes hoping he would grab his quiz so he could escape his personal hell, but the TA seemed to have other plans and managed to maneuver around Jean and his friends. Finally he grabbed Jean’s paper last and the brunet jumped to grab his stuff. His roommates were already at the exit when he prepared to join them, but a tap on the shoulder grounded him. 

_Please not Levi. Please not Levi. Please don’t be Levi. ___

__He turned to see the new TA frowning at him._ _

__“Oh thank God.” Jean sighed, his hand catching his mouth a second too late._ _

__“You’re welcome?” his TA questioned._ _

__“Yes. Yes I am,” Jean answered, trying to avoid any other stupid responses. Even though it was not Levi, having the new person frown at him was more than disconcerting. Marco motioned for him to follow him out of the door and away from the professor who was unsuccessfully trying to get the computer to power down, cursing it with some rather creative words._ _

__“Form versus function?” Marco repeated to him, raising his eyebrow._ _

__“…form is the shape of an object or its structure while the function is the purpose of said object.”_ _

__Marco stared at Jean, a look of disbelief on his face. “Really?”_ _

__“I mean- form is kind of pointless if it doesn’t have function. Look at Levi’s cane,” Jean ranted nervously. Marco opened his mouth but shut it. He gestured for Jean to continue so the brunet ran his mouth. “Its carved pretty well, a bit overdone if you ask me, but it still serves its job of carrying his broken butt around. Form meets function. Kind of.”_ _

__Silence fell over the two students and hung around long enough to make Jean start shifting on his feet._ _

__“Five points for the speech. I’m sure Dr. Ackerman would like your description of his cane, carved in the Amazon I think, but I think he’d rather know how much you like to tutor your classmates.” Marco pulled out a paper to show and Jean. The teen glanced over the paper and then glanced over at the name. **Eren Jaeger**_ _

__“What-“_ _

__“First question. Answer: form versus function.”_ _

__“Goddamn it, Jaeger.”_ _

__“As I said, good job tutoring but don’t let it happen again. Otherwise I’m sure if Levi found out-“_ _

__“Please don’t!” Jean snapped, fear apparent in his voice._ _

__“If Levi found out, I’m sure he’d love the excuse to help you educate you classmates about ethics. You being the case study,” Marco continued a small smile rose on his face. “Don’t let it happen again.”_ _

__With that the freckled man went on his way, leaving a nervous and thankful Jean quivering in his boots. He turned to go join his friends but promptly hit someone and tumbled to the floor. Jean’s head crashed something stiff but it was too warm to be the floor. “Ow.”_ _

__“No shit, Sherlock,” a displeased voice greeted him. Jean moved his head up and saw the face that could kill a puppy. A chill ran down his spine and froze him limbs. He stared into his professor’s cold grey eyes and remained in a place, much like a kid caught with his hand in a cookie jar. “Any day now, Kirschtein.”_ _

__Jean jumped to his feet and offered a hand to the downed man. Levi ignored it and lifted himself with assistance from his cane. Jean huffed out an apology and only earned a grunt. Levi walked towards the teachers’ offices, leaving Jean to his misery and praying the tiny man was not eavesdropping earlier._ _

__\---_ _

__“Where were you?” Connie questioned Jean as soon as he found his friends in front of the student union._ _

__“Meeting the new TA,” Jean quipped as the group started for the cafeteria. The guys did their best to stay in their own little world and to ignore all the tables for the various clubs and activities surrounding them. The school year was still beginning and all the clubs were in recruitment mode. Everyone from the preachy religious groups and abrasive political groups to the way-too-friendly-to-not-be-creepy cultural clubs and niche special interest groups were shouting at passersby and throwing fliers to students._ _

__“Kirschtein already pissed off the freckled guy? You don’t even have to talk to people to annoy them,” Eren teased. A swift punch to his shoulder did little to stop his laughter._ _

__“It was your fault! Copied me word for fucking word. How stupid are you?!” Jean exploded at Eren. He took this in jest and kept laughing. Jean was anything but happy with Eren. The professor was already out to get him and he really did not need the TA to be joining Levi in making that class even more unbearable._ _

__“Stupid enough to let you into our dorm.”_ _

__“Touché,” Connie added as a gust stirred around them. “If we’re dumb enough to- ugh!“_ _

__Armin was the only one of the group paying any attention to his surroundings as the gentle breeze from earlier escalated into a heavy wind. While Armin was skilled enough to dodge and side step the fliers, Connie had the reflexes of a sloth on the best of days. Something much larger than a flier that flew by Armin’s head, went straight into Connie’s chest, and planted his ass firmly to the ground. He clutched onto whatever hit him for dear life._ _

__“Karma is a bitch,” Jean snickered as he offered a hand to his downed friend. Connie took the hand but did not hide his contempt for Jean’s joy._ _

__“You know who else is a bitch? Your mo-“ Connie caught himself halfway through before Jean dropped him on his ass. Any joy on Jean’s face disappeared without a trace and his usual scowl returned. “Shit, I was going to say Mikasa!”_ _

__That earned him a kick from both Jean and Eren._ _

__“Diversity Initiative Collective?” Armin read the poster that Connie had all but forgotten in his hands._ _

__“The one and the only!” A spunky voice grabbed everyone’s attention. A girl with brown hair pulled into a ponytail appeared. She grabbed the poster from Connie and helped him up. “Thanks for catching it. I turned around only for a second for some candy and next thing I see is my baby flying away!”_ _

__“Your baby was just restoring the universe’s karmic balance. Don’t worry,” Armin assured her._ _

__“Glad I could help. The name’s Sasha! You guys interested in expanding your horizons?”_ _

__“I’ll pass. I got enough initiative from Pierre for the rest of the school year,” Connie refused, readjusting his beanie protectively._ _

__“Who the hell is Pierre?” Jean chimed in, his anger dissipating slowly. Connie pointed to the poster in Sasha’s grasp. As if on cue, the wind started again and Pierre jutted towards Connie. He jumped behind Armin while Sasha kept her poster contained. It flapped menacingly towards Connie who hissed back at it._ _

__“Little asshole.”_ _

__“Why Pierre?” Jean had a feeling he would regret asking, but with Connie’s thought process it was like watching a train crash. Jean could not look away, or in this case, not ask him._ _

__“It’s has a dick and is an asshole to me, much like a certain French roommate. Ergo, Pierre.”_ _

__“It’s a poster. How does it have a penis?” Sasha wondered, joining in the collective wonder that was starting to cloud around Connie._ _

__“Diversity Initiative Collective. DIC. Penis.”_ _

__Jean threw his hands up in the air in defeat, leaving Sasha confused but chuckling._ _

__“Thanks for the offer but I think we’re fine,” Armin came to the rescue. Sasha nodded before waving to them. “Good luck!”_ _

__“Your loss. But thank you for saving Pierre, beanie man,” Sasha waved before running back to her table. The guys shrugged off the rest of the tables and used the remaining sunlight to walk back to their shared dorm. Jean did not hide his contempt for Connie the entire walk back, attempting to light his friend on fire with his mind- but to no avail. It was quiet the entire way until Connie started chuckling randomly. Armin gave Connie a questionable look and he used it as a chance to clarify._ _

__“Haha. Dick.”_ _

__\---  
“You coming, Jaeger?” Jean shouted from his room, ignoring the cart full of his belongings. He could deal with it after decompressing._ _

__“Yeah, yeah. I’m ready,” Eren replied. Jean left his mess for later in the evening and met his roommate. Both were ready for their favorite past time- running from their problems. Or just running in general if anyone asked them._ _

__“Okay. I’ll have food for when you guys get back,” Armin called from his room._ _

__“Thanks Arm.”_ _

__“What shit-for-brains said,” Jean echoed Eren. Jaeger glared at Jean but he could not care less. If he was stupid enough to copy Jean’s hint verbatim without even explaining anything then as far as Jean was concerned Eren lacked any intelligence._ _

__The walk across campus towards the gym was peaceful if anything. Jean may be Eren’s roommate but without Connie or Armin to facilitate casual conversation silence was the preferred mode of communication between the two. It was a restful silence occasionally interrupted by Eren sipping from his water bottle. That was something Jean would add to the shopping list once he convinced Connie to go back to Target, or if he could get one for free from one of the clubs without actually going to a meeting. His conscious could cope with the latter very easily._ _

__Much to Jean’s surprise, the track and even the gym itself was mostly empty. For the first time ever Jean could not hear even a basketball bouncing on the courts. That made their job of finding their workout partners much easier so they began scanning the track. A few runners were making laps and a pair of girls caught their eyes. A blond girl and a black haired girl were passing the most the others, keeping pace with other. They ran passed Eren and Jean, lost in their own competitive world._ _

__“Annie, Mikasa!” Jean called out. Both girls slowed and moved their heads to find the source of their names. Mikasa caught Eren waving at them and pulled Annie with her. They caught their breath as they moved to join Eren and Jean by the track entrance._ _

__“Yo,” Annie answered, her voice as nonchalant as ever. Despite running more than a warm-up lap with Mikasa, Annie’s face remained as unreadable as ever with her mouth locked in a perpetual scowl that gave Jean’s frown a run for his money. Mikasa at least had the courtesy to be winded._ _

__“Eren, Jean,” Mikasa greeted while she let her dark hair out of its ponytail. Jean held his breath as he took the moment to appreciate his favorite habit of Mikasa’s: shaking her beautiful long hair to let it breathe. Connie may take great care of his precious locks, but Mikasa’s hair is what did it for Jean. Connie was also not Jean’s girlfriend so that was also a difference. Thank God._ _

__“Sup, sis?” Eren replied. Annie shot him a glare. “And Annie. Hello.”_ _

__Mikasa shrugged and went to hug Eren and Jean. Jean ignored the pang of jealousy he felt when Mikasa and Eren touched since it’s what siblings, or whatever the hell those two were, did. Annie walked up next to him and nudged him towards the machines._ _

__“You wanna lift today?” She questioned. At this point any work out to distract Jean from his feelings were appreciated. Between the new TA scaring him and the stress of packing he was ready to blow off some steam._ _

__“Sure, same thing as always?” He directed more towards Eren and Mikasa, than at Annie._ _

__“Yeah,” Mikasa nodded. Eren threw his bottle to Jean and wasted no time starting to jog on the track. Mikasa turned on her heels and pulled her back into a ponytail. Jean could also appreciate her hair when it went back up. Hell, he just appreciated her hair more than he should. He also blatantly stared as she ran off, admiring the view but yearning for her presence once more._ _

__“Come on, lover boy.” Annie declared, grabbing Jean by his ear and pulling him towards the bench presses._ _

__Both fell into habit as Annie grabbed her weights and Jean felt up to the challenge of locating a free bench. To his surprise there was no line. He grabbed the closest one near the weight racks and retrieved a bar from one of the stands. Annie set up her weights and started on the bench, Jean keeping a watchful eye over her._ _

__“Where is everyone?” He finally asked about the elephant in the room._ _

__“I assume you didn’t hear then.” Annie stated, not paying too much attention to the weight. Jean stared at her patiently waiting for an explanation. “Another kid was discovered. The students bailed when they heard.”_ _

__“Is he alright?”_ _

__“ _She_ is in the hospital getting treated for her injuries.” Annie grunted under the weight. “Switch.”_ _

__Jean grimaced as he pulled the bar to safety. “How many attacked?”_ _

__“Dozen or so. All got away, even with everyone watching.”_ _

__“For such a smart college, we sure are full of dumbasses.” Jean spoke in between pants. It was not the first hospitalization at Sina but it was much earlier than the others from last year._ _

__“Stupidity is contagious. Before long you’ll be running laps like Jaeger with your pants on backwards.” Annie indicated by motioning her nose to the track. Jean took a moment to glance at the track and noticed Annie was right. The back of Jaeger’s pants had the drawstring bouncing above his ass like a stubby tail. Jean let out a quick laugh as he forced the bar back onto the rack._ _

__“At least you’re finally noticing him.”_ _

__“Better ways than that to get my attention.”_ _

__“Yeah, like finally asking you out.” Jean rolled his eyes as they walked over to a water fountain. Just because he had Eren’s water bottle did not mean he was going to use it. Lord knows where Jaeger’s mouth had been, not that he wanted to know._ _

__“That’ll be the day hell freezes over.” Annie halfheartedly laughed as she waited for Jean to breathe. He choked on the water and came back up for air._ _

__“Why do you say that?” he sputtered in between words, slowly recovering air. Annie ignored him in favor of the water. “You know he has a thing for blondes right?”_ _

__Annie shot him a look that told him to shut the hell up and he put his arms in front of him defensively. Jean followed Annie’s advice and let the conversation drop there and followed her towards some new machines. If today they were going to have free reign over the gym he was going to abuse it before Annie decided to abuse him._ _

__\---  
The savory smell of meat wafted into the elevator as soon as the door opened, reminding Jean and Eren of the promise Armin made. A small rumble greeted the smell and Jean clutched his stomach, causing a bemused look to appear on Annie’s normally stoic face._ _

__“Please tell me that’s Armin’s food.” Jean rubbed his empty belly. Eren stuck his scarred nose in the air and gave a good sniff._ _

__“Pasta and Bolognesetoday.” He announced with a big grin. “I’d recognize that smell anywhere. That or someone aside from Armin learned how to operate that shitty stove.”_ _

__“I’m surprised your nose even works.” Jean laughed._ _

__“No thanks to you.” Eren narrowed his eyes, still not happy about that little bit of history. Jean shut his mouth tight and let Eren get the door. “Dibs on the shower, by the way.”_ _

__“Go for it.”_ _

__The three entered the dorm and found a pot steaming on the little counter the dorm provided. The rooms in Stohess were equipped with minifridges, microwaves, and counter space. Students were allowed to use the one communal kitchen the school kindly built, but it was a constant fire hazard since no one knew how to cook or even work the perpetually broken stove. No one except Armin and Connie as his apprentice._ _

__“Oh, you guys brought Annie.” A surprised voice spoke behind the group. They turned to see Armin walking in flip-flops, an apron, and carrying a small skillet with meat simmering. The front of the apron was decorated with an abundance of bacon strips that gave Jean hope for future breakfasts._ _

__Armin walked past the group and to the counter, revealing jogging short and a tank top the group behind him. Eren broke his gaze and cleared his throat. “I’m going to shower. Save some food for me.”_ _

__“Way ahead of you.” The blond cook smiled, pointing to a plate with aluminum foil at the end of the counter. Eren gave his friend a thumbs up before retreating to his bedroom and ultimately the bathroom._ _

__“How did you…” Jean trailed off, not even finishing the question. It was Armin, of course he somehow knew._ _

__“Connie wanted to eat before going to get Reiner. I saved the extras for Eren. He always showers after the gym.”Armin explained, listing off the reasons like his notes. Simple, logical, and passive._ _

__He left Annie and Jean to go back to his room and he shut the door. That was the end of conversation for the time being, until Reiner would force him to out later more than likely. Jean and Annie grabbed a plate before going to Jean’s room to try and organize his mess. Annie sat on the unmade bed and quietly ate while Jean pulled the rest of the junk out of the cart. Having a single room was nice but luxury of privacy had a price. Space was something Jean did not get with this room. It was narrower than his closet back at home, but thankfully it was deeper so a bed, desk, and wardrobe could fit in._ _

__Jean ignored Annie’s eyes as best he could while he set up his desk. If he was a patient person he could organize the desk in a clean and nice manner, but patient was a word that escaped Jean’s vocabulary almost every day. Pencils and notebooks were placed haphazardly into the drawers and soon there was enough free space for his laptop on the desk. Jean found a corner and cleaned it. When he returned to his laundry basket, he saw Annie holding the lone picture frame. “God, you were a fat kid.”_ _

__“Thanks for the reminder. I was there.” Jean rolled his eyes. Annie gave him the photo and put her empty plate on the tiny nightstand. She went to work on making the bed for Jean. “You don’t have to do that.”_ _

__“But I want to. Least I could do for you. Did Celine ever teach you how to do this?” Annie questioned._ _

__“No, mother never got the chance.” Jean answered, his sour tone mimicking his mood. Annie froze for a second before shooting Jean a conciliatory glance. She was the one person who still treated the subject of his mother with some humanity. “I didn’t say goodbye to her today. Or to Jaime.”_ _

__“They’ll forgive you when you go home. Your dad still an ass?”_ _

__“He’s not an ass!” Jean immediately defended. Annie gave a look of disbelief. “He’s tough yeah, but he’s still doing good work and taking care of mom.”_ _

__“So he hasn’t changed at all.”_ _

__“No.”_ _

__The conversation ended there when the door to the dorm slammed open. Reiner’s voice declared his presence in the apartment and any semblance of peace and quiet was thrown out the window. “The games are here and so is the beer.”_ _

__Jean prayed his friends did not damage the wall with their over the top entrance because he was not about to pay for that when he moved out. Annie and Jean left the room to join their friends in the living room. Reiner had changed out of his target uniform in favor a shirt that still looked like it was ready to break if he flexed in the wrong place. Connie was busy setting up the old Nintendo 64 system while Reiner set down two 24 packs of beer. Jean gagged at the sight._ _

__“Learn to appreciate the cheap things in life, Kirschtein.” Eren advised, opening a box and grabbing himself a can. “We can’t all afford the best life has to offer.”_ _

__“You think I drink fancy shit? You don’t know me at all.” Jean fetched his boxed wine and placed it next to the pasta on the counter. He walked to the fridge and took a cup from the top. It looked remarkably like the ones the cafeteria served but Jean kept that comment to himself. They were all probably too cheap to get their own stuff like every other college student._ _

__“The game’s called Beeriokart. Grab a can!” Reiner exclaimed._ _

__“No, its Mariokart. Tell that to bourbon boy over there.” Jean pointed to Connie, who was cradling the bottle of booze with more care than he should have. He was a mother with a newborn child in his arms, a child name Jim Bean. Connie stared at anyone who came near him and his precious bottle. Jean was surprised he was not running his mouth. “What’s up with him?”_ _

__“Mina, Thomas, and Samuel.” Reiner answered, blowing into the game cartridge. He placed the game into the slot with a reverence generally reserved for sacred items before flipping the on switch. The nostalgic sound of 64 bit karts racing filled the room and everyone crowded around the TV. Connie, Jean, Eren, and Reiner grabbed controllers, while Annie sat on the futon. She sipped on the shitty beer, but her face did not show any signs if the taste was bad. Armin came out of his room and sat down next to Annie with a plate of his pasta, already smiling with excitement. Jena ignored the fact the blond’s shorts seemed to get shorter. “So he’s high as a kite?”_ _

__“Less kite, more like a leaf in the wind.” Connie finally responded._ _

__“Soon to be a drunk as fuck leaf.”_ _

__“This funk as druck leaf is going to kick your ass… uh, drunk as fuck leaf.”_ _

__“Tell us that when you actually open the bottle.” Reiner laughed. Connie gave a puzzled look until he noticed the unopened bottle._ _

__“Soon.”_ _

__Mariokart proceeded about as well as expected. The first few games were competitive, full of expletives, and the occasional punch. Connie wining each and every round lost its charm very fast, despite him drinking his bourbon every round. Once everyone was happily buzzed the real challenge began: finishing the race._ _

__“Lightning again?! Who the fuck?” Eren cursed. Reiner raised his hand and laughed so hard he was on tears and on the floor. Eren jumped the blond, leaving Connie and Jean competing for the lead. “Armin, tag in.”_ _

__The petite blond sighed and jumped towards the controller. Reiner tagged Annie’s knee and she dropped off the futon to join Armin. Eren kept Reiner in a headlock while the two newcomers easily caught up and surpassed Connie and Jean._ _

__“Uncle! Uncle!” Reiner admitted defeat so Eren could let him breathe._ _

__“Teaches you to never lightning me again, Braun.” Eren sat on Reiner’s back in victory._ _

__“No promises. That shit is way too hilarious.”_ _

__“Why not use it then?” Annie asked, still focused on the game._ _

__“What do you mean?” Reiner replied. He sat back up and Eren tumbled off his back and onto the floor._ _

__“Youtube. You’ve been looking for a break and that could be it.”_ _

__“And what, do a Let’s Play channel? That’s already taken on this campus. Fucking Bertholdt.” Reiner raised his fist to the ceiling. “As much as I hate the guy, I refuse to copy.”_ _

__“Just a suggestion.”_ _

__“How about your channel? Self-defense lessons catch on yet?” Reiner wondered._ _

__“It’s still catching fire.” Annie reported, taking another drink from her can._ _

__“Give it time. You’re one of the best and people will see that.” Jean commented, downing his wine. Another round over and another glass gone. He stood up, swaying for a second. Once he regained his balance he walked back to his box, avoiding the countless cans on the floor. He returned to his controller and waited for the next round to begin._ _

__Everyone fell back into game mode and it only took a few games before Annie and Armin joined Jean and Eren’s level of sobriety. Reiner stopped so he could be sober enough to make it back to his fraternity house. Connie was on a whole other level compared to everyone. His baby bottle was empty but Connie kept going with the last box of beer Reiner brought._ _

__When the final race began Eren was snoring on the floor. Reiner watched as the others prepared for Thursday night tradition: Rainbow Road Finale. The race started safe enough with everyone jumping off the edge and yelling at each other. Several power-ups and a few minutes later Armin and Annie were struggling for third and second place. Jean was not too far behind them but they kept finding ways to just stay ahead of him. Connie was enjoying a healthy lead until he became the victim of several shells and bombs. They were almost done with the final lap when Jean got the one power that brought a smile to his face. “Hey, Connie.”_ _

__“Wuh?” his friend slurred._ _

__“Guess what I got?”_ _

__“Wuh?”_ _

__“Your blue buddy.” Jean’s mouth grew into an uncharacteristically large grin. Connie’s face registered what Jean said before his brain, and the color drained from it._ _

__“Hoe, don’t do it.”_ _

__“I’m gonna.”_ _

__“Don’t.”_ _

__“I think I will.”_ _

__“Bitch, you better not.”_ _

__“Whoops.”_ _

__Reiner watched with wide eyes as the blue shell sped from Jean’s character, through Armin and Annie, and crash straight into Connie right before the finish line. Jean sped passed the others to take first place. Armin and Annie recovered just enough before Connie to finish right in front of him. “FUCK!”_ _

__Jean was roaring with laughter and rolling on the floor, squashing a few cans under his body. Connie looked like he was about to cry and punched the floor in frustration. Armin and Annie both had big grins and Reiner was behind the futon mimicking Jean. Eren woke up due to all the noise and just looked confused._ _

__If blue shells were karma’s way of keeping Connie grounded, then Jean could live with the shit his friend could send his way. It was moments like these with his friends that made Jean forget his own problems and his home life. He could handle a semester of Levi and whatever hell life threw his way. Precious moments are what allowed Jean to keep marching on._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and all feedback is appreciated! Feel free to comment or message me on tumblr.
> 
> (Next Time: Jean can't avoid his TA, no matter how hard he tries.)


	3. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Jean and Eren deal with not only one, but two overgrown toddlers. And Marco catching Jean off-guard everywhere.

Hot water rained from the showerhead, cleansing Jean in the steam. Cold plastic provided some relief for Jean’s throbbing head. He drank just enough wine to regret waking up with a headache. It was not the worst hangover he had, but combined with the fact he was not a morning person and anatomy lab in a little bit then that was a recipe for grumbling and cursing anything that moved.

Grabbing a nearby bottle, he removed the cap and squirted some shampoo into his hands. Even with a pounding head he was not going to skip washing his hair or his body. Only after his mop of hair was full of suds did the grumpy teen smile a little. Demonstrating the highest level of maturity, Jean clapped his hands and watched the suds explode in every direction, bringing the edges of his mouth closer to his mostly-hidden ears. As fast as his smile appeared, much like the suds in his hands, it disappeared with a loud thud. The door to the bathroom being wretched open and slamming into the wall without any regard for the noise tore Jean from his bliss.

Somebody scrambled into the bathroom, ignoring the fact Jean was in the shower, and dove for the toilet. Jean peeked around the shower curtain, clutching the mostly clear veil near his body, trying to find who the hell interrupted his moment of Zen. Leaning over the toilet was a figure that Jean recognized as the girl from the Ring. Long hair was splayed every direction, while a growl from the depths of hell echoed into the porcelain throne. Soon the growl became the more familiar sound of someone hurling the entirety of their previous evening into toilet, like an offering to the gods of alcohol and partying. Dionysus would not appreciate what was sitting in the bowl.

It took a moment but Jean’s mind clicked and realized Connie was the poor figure over the toilet. Less than thirty seconds later Eren came sprinting into the bathroom, officially making it a party. “Whose dying?!”

“The fuck, Jaeger?!” Jean shouted from the shower, his face getting redder. 

His roommate turned to face the shower and Eren’s dark skin seemed to turn a shade a darker when he registered someone was using the shower. And he was very naked. “The hell are you doing here, Kirschtein?”

“I don’t know. Heard a noise, thought it was a party so I got naked and jumped in the shower… What do you think I’m doing?!”

A gag from the toilet ended the brief exchange and both guy turned to see Connie hanging over the side. Eren took the hint to go help his friend, grabbing his hair and pulling it back so no vomit decorated Connie’s prized possession. Jean quickly washed the rest of his hair, kicked the shower handle to stop the water, and leaned out to grab his towel, careful not to let his naked body be seen. Especially by Eren Jaeger.

With a towel wrapped around his waist, Jean exited the stall and frowned at the situation in front of him. Eren was patting Connie’s back as he threw up more and more. Armin would have come in and find some way to make the situation better for both Connie and Eren, but Jean was not Armin so he took his opportunity to leave. “Good luck with that.”

“Help me, ya condescending asshole!”

A quick flash of the middle finger gave Eren Jean’s answer, and he took off for his room. He made sure to take his time while he dressed because there was no way he was going to help Eren hold Connie’s hair. Connie brought it on himself and Eren just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

After trying on three outfits and browsing Facebook, Jean figured a sufficient amount of time had passed and there was no way Connie would still be in the bathroom. Even Jean could be wrong from time to time.

He leaned on the doorframe, observing Connie dry heaving , while Eren kept his hair away from the toilet. Jaeger’s eyes made a point of staring straight into the tile, clearly not happy with the situation. Whatever sympathy Jean had for Eren died a long time ago, so he kept a satisfied smile on his face. “Think he’ll make it to lab?”

Eren jumped from surprise and turned his steely gaze at Jean. A shiver ran down his spine when he met Eren’s eyes, venom glistening in the dark green eyes. That was a look Jean had not seen since Eren found him freshman year. “Probably not, no thanks to you.”

“Don’t blame me. I was naked.” Jean deflected, refusing to be blamed for this mess. At least the metaphorical one, Connie was responsible for the physical mess.

“If attendance wasn’t half of our grade I’d say let him stay.”

“But you’re not going to.”

“Exactly.” A hint of joy appeared in Eren’s voice, with a smile accompanying the response. “If I gotta suffer through this shit, then he can suffer through lab.”

“Leave me to die. I’m not long for this world.” Connie’s voice droned, echoing inside the toilet.

“Can’t let you do that, Connie. You gotta pass this class.” Eren pulled the rest of Connie’s head out of the toilet, leaving him to his cool touch of the floor, walking over to the sink to grab a glass of water. Eren placed it next to Connie’s head and glanced back to the asshole watching in the doorway. “Get the princess her royal carriage. I’ll doll her up for the royal ball.”

“What?” Jean squinted at Eren, missing the context entirely.

“Get the cart from your room. I’ll make him presentable.”

Doing as he was told, Jean removed the last of his posters cluttering the cart and opted to make it his future self’s problem, leaving the glorified scrolls on the floor. Kicking the loose wheel back into place, he managed to get the rickety carriage rolling out of his room and into the common area, where the royalty waited.

With Barry as his tiara, sunglasses as his make-up, and a jacket that more or less smelled like weed as his dress, Connie was ready for his grand entrance, if he was not passed out on the couch. Eren retuned in his favorite sweats, giving Jean his best come-hither look, and grabbed the princess by his arms. A heavy sigh indicated how much Jean wanted to do this but he grabbed Connie’s legs, helping Eren carry his best friend. They dropped Connie like a sack of potatoes unceremoniously into the cart. Jean started pushing while Eren dove into the minifridge. Jean waited for the elevator when his one functional roommate reappeared with a bottle of water and some nondescript white pills.

“Advil?” Jean guessed.

“Something like that.” Eren grinned, hitting Connie on the head until he stirred. “Take these and drink the water, m’lady.”

“Remind me to never let you take care of me.”

“Looking forward to it.”

\---

Much to Jean’s surpise, carting around a passed out person who looks like a B-list celebrity trying to hide their identity did not draw too much attention from the other students or professors walking around campus. They got a few stray stares, probably due to how ridiculous they looked, but it never brought on any questions. There was one person who snapped a photo but if that was the least of their worries then Jean would be happy.

With the science building looming in the distance, Jean began pulling the cart towards the entrance before it was forcibly redirected towards back part near the forest. Jean shot Eren a questionable look. “Where are we going?”

“You’ll see, trust me.” Jean gave Eren his best skeptical look but followed along.

Connie concluded their grand adventure with his best Lindsey Lohan impression and vomited over the side of the cart when they stopped by the doors. Although Connie had the reflexes of a sloth, Jean was more of a cat person and he avoided the spray with a quick jump towards the door. With some assistance from his roommates, Connie escaped the cart without face planting. Eren lead the cart away and pulled something out of his pocket.

“Why do you have a bike lock? You don’t own a bike.” Jean asked.

“For this.” Eren demonstrated by locking the cart to a nearby tree sapling. It took a whole lot of self-restraint but Jean refused to slap his forehead at the stupidity of this situation.

“How about the door?” Jean complained, still unable to understand why Eren took them to the locked entrance.

With a smug look on his face, Eren strolled to the door and moved a hand into his red scarf. Pulling a card on a lanyard from his scarf, it was an old ID that was faded and scratched from years of use. He walked to the door, flashing the ID by the censor, and waited for his friend to join him. Jean pulled Connie with an arm over his shoulder, and let out an impressed huff when the ancient looking doors opened. “Presto.”

Ignoring the urge to ask questions, Jean rolled his eyes and heaved his friend through the door. “Connie, a little effort on your end would be nice.”

“Leave me be. I can’t face Levi like this.” He assured his friends.

“I’m sure security would love to find you chilling in a restricted stairwell too.” Eren commented, his words laced with discontent.

“You took us into a restricted stairwell?” Jean replied in shock.

“The locked door wasn’t a good hint?” Eren spoke to Jean like a toddler. Pushing his friend up the stairs even faster than before, Jean was not planning on facing building security because Connie had one too many drinks. Bullies were manageable, drunken bar fights could be forgiven, and Levi was easy to handle, but security in one the campus’ most valuable buildings was not something he was planning on risking his ass for.

Arriving on the fifth floor with human equivalent of a sack of potatoes was no easy feat, despite Connie’s best attempts to rest, throw up on Jean, or pass out and almost send his friend down a flight of stairs. Never had Jean been so thankful for handrails before that, and Eren finally rejoined the effort of getting Connie to class. The sterile hallway was mostly barren of objects minus the occasional filing cabinet, mini fridge, and the metric shit ton of motivational posters lining the walls. The dean of the college had a sick sense of humor to keep a sloth theme for all the posters. As soon as they passed the poster with a sloth hanging onto a branch for dear life, ignoring the fact it read ‘Hang in there!’, they reached their classroom and arrived with time to spare. Both roommates let out heavy sighs as soon as they realized the TA or teacher did not arrive.

Blond hair served as their beacon to their seats. They flopped Connie into his seat, ignoring the thud when his head hit the desk, Armin looked up from his book and noticed a very exasperated Jean and Eren joining him at the four person black table.

“That bad?” the blond questioned his friends, laughing at the miserable looks on their faces.

“You should’ve joined us. It was a party.” Eren ruffled his messy hair in frustration.

“Sorry, 8am o-chem called.” Armin hummed.

“You’re the only person insane enough to take organic chemistry at 8am 3 days a week. And on a Friday.”

“Me and forty eight others.”

“Yeah but you voluntarily took the morning class. The others were the unlucky slow ones.”

The door to the lab opened before Armin could deny Eren’s claim, not that he had any grounds to dispute it on. Being an honors student and having all the credit from high school AP classes meant he had first call at most classes, including scheduling for o-chem.

Their TA stumbled into class, breathing like he just ran a marathon, and started rummaging through his leather messenger bag. Jean noticed he was wearing a crème colored long sleeved shirt and a checkered scarf. Outside of Eren, not many others wore scarves this early in the year. He shrugged it off in favor of poking his mostly dead friend. A snore escapred Connie’s mouth, turning a few heads in the room. Marco seemed too preoccupied trying to get his stuff together to notice.

“I apologize for being a little late to the first class. Elevator was broke and these hallways aren’t easy to navigate.” Marco rubbed his hair nervously, his cheeks reddening from embarrassment. “I want to do attendance so I can try to learn your names.” He pulled a sheet out of his bag and flipped it over. “Armin Arlert?”

“Present.” Armin replied, sitting straight up and giving his full attention to the TA. A hint of a smile appeared on Marco’s face as he continued down the list. Jean kept poking his friend, trying to get him up but to no avail. He glanced at his phone to see if sending a message to Connie would get him up.

Nope.

“Eren Jaeger?”

“Here, sir.” Eren called back. Marco nodded and returned to the list but paused before calling out the next person.

“Kirschtein? Please put your phone away.”

“Yes, sir.” Jean’s face reddened, not expecting to be caught by the TA. He was so used to Levi not acknowledging his first name that it did not surprise or faze him when Marco missed it.

Attendance continued without interruption until Connie’s turn arrived. “Conrad Springer?”

A lack of response prompted the TA to repeat the name. Jean elbowed Connie hard but only got another snore out of him. He signed and decided to try desperate measures and whispered into Connie’s ear. “Diddy Kong is a shitty Smash Brother character.”

“You shut your lying whore mouth!” Connie sprung to life, shouting to the entire room. The outburst shocked everyone, especially the freckled TA. The hungover kid glanced around the room to try and figure what was going on. “I mean, I’m here.”

Jean started laughing to himself, trying to keep quiet while the room recovered from the sudden silence. Even Marco seemed too stunned to continue, but eventually cleared his throat. Connie glared at Jean but it was lost on the laughing teen. Not that Jean could see Connie’s death stare through the sunglasses Connie wore. “Uh… right. Thomas Wagner?”

\---

“Do you think Eren can get him back to the dorm?” Jean asked, his hands readjusting the dark green beanie containing his hair. The struggle to get Connie to lab was hard enough with the two of them, but getting him out and back to the dorm seemed as futile as building a house of cards in a hurricane. 

Armin hummed a little tune to himself and chuckled at Jean’s question. “He’s done it before.”

“Was Connie this bad?”

“Worse.”

“How?” 

“Mixed drinks, edibles, Reiner’s beer, and a little something something from Thomas.” Armin listed like ingrediants, a sure-fire recipe for disaster. A disaster Jean had no interest in seeing or cleaning up.

“Why do we put up with his shit?” Jean truly wondered.

“Because he puts up with ours.” The blond stated. “Besides, it’s not like he always gets back.” Jean raised an eyebrow, curiosity grabbing ahold of him while Armin gave a devilish grin. “Sometimes he ends up napping in the quad. I don’t ask questions.”

Jean nodded, completely understanding Jaeger’s lack of patience. He was sure that Connie would not mind the nap in the grassy quad since he practically lived there during the spring semester near the crystal clear lake. 

The granite building that was library towered before the two roommates and they entered the stone monolith. Simple, large, and erected with the finest materials, that was how the tour guide introduced the library to Jean when he was taking his freshman tour of Sina. They promised he would spend many a night in there crying over finals, and they were half right. A majority of his time was spent in the library, but he was getting paid to be rather than the other way around.

Being a student employee meant working near the top of the library, yet they were just below all the bigwigs who got the top offices and best views of the library. Armin and Jean had a guessing game as to what the purpose the top floor of the library held because no student or guest ever went up there, the winner of which would get a very lavish dinner at the other’s expense. Lavish meaning anything above McDonald’s. College reduced diets and health to the cheapest burger or drink on a menu.

The dull glow of the computers lit the relatively empty floor, casting shadows off the bookcases as Armin and Jean walked to their shared desk. Shelves littered with research journals and catalogs decorated the area behind the desk and the computer lab was the front of the room. Dropping their stuff behind the small desk, the blond switched into librarian mode while the brunet cracked open a drawer and pulled out a comic book and dropped it on the desk. Jean chuckled as Armin donned his reading glasses and straightened his sweater vest; meanwhile Jean pulled his beanie further down and kept his jacket in place. They looked the complete contrast to each other but that was likely why they got along.

“Dibs on printer duty.” Jean claimed.

With a shrug of his shoulders, Armin walked to a nearby cart with books on it. “So the usual routine. You get the lab and the study rooms then.”

“What? I thought you covered the rooms.”

“Yeah but I just found a good journal on diseases.” Armin picked a book from the cart up to emphasize his point.

“Fine. You better get that lab position you’ve been hounding after.”

“Thanks, Jean!”

Without a second thought, the blond disappeared into the jungle of the catalogs to return the lost books to their rightful homes. Most Fridays meant an empty an empty evening since most students had better places to be and better things to do and or drink. Minus the occasional printer jam and a few studious kids checking into the study rooms for small periods of time, Jean had time to get lost in his comic book. 

Someone sniffed a little louder than necessary and pulled Jean out from Batman’s adventures in the name of justice. “Hello, Jean. Armin not working tonight?”

In front of Jean stood a tall man with long blond hair. He wore a grin on his face and rubbed the ends of his dark moustache with his lanky fingers. “Hey, Dr. Zacharius. He’s putting the books back… or at least he should be.”

“He found another book, eh?”

“When doesn’t he?”

“Like father like son.” The tall man laughed.

“Oh yeah. Need the usual room?” Jean guessed, already reaching for the key to corner study room. It was the most sought after room thanks to the view and privacy. It was the only room in the corner of the stacks and no one ever seemed to be able to reserve it.

“If you wouldn’t mind.” He stuck his hand out expectantly and Jean dropped the keys into the doctor’s grasp. He glanced over at the comic Jean was reading and smiled. “Wait until the Joker returns, then it gets going.”

“Shh! No spoilers.” Jean panicked, receiving a large hand rubbing his hair and beanie. He glowered at the man but still gave a small grin. “Enjoy your dinner, doc.”

The blond man gave an offended look and turned his head in confusion. “Whatever do you mean, little K?”

Another sniff broke the silence and it was Jean’s turn to cock an eyebrow. “Bean burrito and salsa. Chipotle?”

“With chips and guac. You’ve been practicing.” Doctor Zacharius chuckled.

“Nope. Just a starving college student fine-tuned to the local cuisine. Although I don’t want to know what the giant green bottle is.”

“Wine.”

“Classy.”

“What is it you kids say? Swag?”

Jean blanched at hearing the older man say that words. “No, just classy. And please never say that again.”

The good doctor laughed and waved goodbye to Jean. With that Jean returned to his comic, now anticipating the appearance of his favorite villain.

\---

By the time evening rolled around, a loud yawn could be heard echoing throughout the ninth floor of the library, indicating how much Jean wanted to finish his second shift. Staring at the digital clock on the computer screen did little to alleviate the oppressively quiet atmosphere occasionally broken by a pair of surly laughs, however it did bring joy since there was only five minutes left in his shift. Grabbing an abandoned cart, Jean began his final stroll around the study rooms and the nearby tables for abandoned books. The next poor soul could put them away.

Thankfully most of the tables were impeccable from the lack of use and the rooms were modestly clean. The laughs coming from the corner room meant jean was not going near there and that would be someone else’s problem. On his way back to the librarian station, he heard a calm voice in the middle of what sounded like a conversation. Like a fly to honey, Jean followed the soothing voice and saw a familiar leather messenger bag on a study table hidden in the stacks. “…yes I’m fine.” 

Imitating a ninja to the best of his ability, he peered around the corner while not making a sound. Marco was staring out the window at the descending sun. Not quite sunset but darkness would soon be upon campus. He had one hand in his khaki pants pocket and the other holding a phone to his ear. “I know. I heard the news to. I live and work here too, dad.”

Parental conversations were never fun, at least from Jean’s experience, and Jean found himself with an opportunity to avenge his pride from morning lab. While nobody really cared or enforced the rules in the library, talking on the phone was technically forbidden and Jean wanted to get back at his TA. He started creeping over to his TA. “No, she’s the only person. No one else has been attacked.”

The last statement froze Jean in place. _Is he talking about the girl from yesterday?_

“The injuries are minor. Levi says she’s lucky she wasn’t triggered.” Marco explained, his hand now playing with his scarf nervously.

Jean wanted to step back but now his interest was piqued.

“I don’t know. Dad... Dad! I have no idea. Hopefully they find them.”

Hearing kids argue with their parents was not Jean’s idea of a fun Friday evening, so he finally withdrew into the stack of catalogs, careful not to draw attention to his eavesdropping. His idea of a fun Friday evening was the promise of free alcohol and the chance to unwind.

\---

“Fuck no.” Connie shook his head vehemently. 

“You turning down free beer is a first.” Eren chuckled. His other roommates nodded from the futon. 

Connie shuddered as he returned to play Smash Brothers, knocking Peach into oblivion. “Yeah, no. After yesterday I’m on a break. Besides I gotta practice for the tournament.”

“Isn’t that a month away?”

“Yup, but I gotta be the best.” Connie emphasized his point as his ass was knocked off the screen. 

“Whatever dude.” Jean shrugged before jumping off the futon. Armin pulled a blanket over his shoulders and snuggled into the corner of the cheap futon. Eren and Jean knew better than to push for the blond to go socialize. “So you know where Reiner’s frat is at?”

“How many times do I have to remind you I lived right next to it?” Eren glared at Jean, pulling his scarf over his mouth as they exited the room and left for the party. Summer’s heat was dying and fall’s chill was starting to replace it ever so slowly. “Levi’s probably going to kill me for going tonight.”

“He’s not your problem anymore. Just relax and have fun.” Jean advised. Eren shrugged and they began their silent trip to unwind for the weekend.

\---

Lights could be seen across the lake for the party, music and loud shouts breaking the atmosphere of silence Jean learned to enjoy. As they got closer, the fraternity house came into view. It was a two-story town house that seemed rather humble compared to all the festivities surrounding it. It was a simple white building with blue Greek letters decorating the balcony over the entrance.

“Sigma nu Kappa.” Jean read aloud as they approached the entrance. In the front lawn a game of beer pong was taking place between two blonds. One was the hulk that Jean had the privilege to crush in Mariokart, and the other was who he replaced in the room. Reiner and Thomas were so focused on their game, they both jumped when the pair of brunets appeared next to them.

“Sweet Jesus!” Reiner declared as he fell onto his side. Eren laughed out loud but Jean kept his scowl, preferring to keep his laughter internal.

“Eren! Jean!” Thomas greeted. He stuck his hand out and Jean took it as Eren just nodded in his direction. “Where Conrad?”

“Connie is… preoccupied.” Jean explained.

“So Smash Brothers.”

“Yeah.” Eren sighed.

“More beer for all of us then!” Reiner picked himself off the floor. He motioned for his friends to come with him. “You got this game Wagner.” Thomas fist pumped into the air before going to a nearby crowd.

Reiner took it upon himself to give his two friends the complete tour of the house, complete with loud music, passed out guys and girls, and heaps of praise for the architecture, not that Jean was paying any attention. About halfway through the tour they were taken to the second floor balcony where the night air hit them like a frozen wall. Eren seemed captivated by the history and all the random facts Reiner knew off the back of his hand. “And this is where we like to hold our executive meetings. Outdoors means we’re as transparent as possible. Everyone is free to offer suggestions here.”

“Turn down the music, you overgrown toddlers!” A cold voice shouted from the townhouse next door. Even though Jean couldn’t see a face, the silhouette of a cane and the tone of the cold voice pierced that the chill in the night was easy to identify. Eren sunk behind Jean, even though Levi could not see that far.

“Even old man Ackerman offers some advice during Exec Board. Of course we haven’t listened.”

The cracks of a smile began to form on Jean’s face; he liked this place already. After the laughter surrounding them calmed down, they were lead back into the building and into towards a room where picture frames adorned almost all of the blue walls. Only one wall remained free from most from the barrage of frames, mostly. On the center of the wall there were five frames that looked older than the rest. 

Reiner lost his jovial attitude in this room, and suddenly seemed humble and respectful. “This is hall of members, where we put up photos of our alum. The five in the front are the founding fathers.”

Eren and Jean stepped forward to look at the men who brought this fraternity together. One face stood out to Jean and his frown returned. “Hey, grandfather.”

“Is this Dr. Ackerman? The first one I mean.” Eren asked, staring at a man with a rather intimidating glare but a grin that went from ear to ear.

“Yup. He and the others wanted to start an academic organization to help promote scholarship and philanthropy and that is how we formed. Although now we also promote socializing as you can see.” Reiner answered. Jean glanced at his grandfather before backing away. The door to the room suddenly burst open and drew the attention of the three friends. Another teen about as big as Reiner was breathing heavily.

“Reiner we- what are nonmembers doing here?” The brother demanded.

“I figured we could make an exception for the legacy of one of the founding fathers.” He gestured to Jean. The kid at the door just shrugged before returning to a state of panic. “What’s going on?”

“Fight in the front. Now.” Reiner jumped to the door with that with Jean and Eren on his heels. Nostalgia flooded through Jean’s veins as memories of high school bounced to the front of his skull. It had been a while but the thrill of a fight brought a smile to his face. Eren kept close but did not reflect Jean’s crooked grin.

Outside the house the music had died down, beer cans littered the lawn, and a crowd was formed around the beer pong table, except Jean could easily tell no one was playing. Reiner and Jean forced their way through the crowd and found someone laying on the table with his hands placed defensively in front of him. All Jean could see was that the guy had a brown hair like his own, but his focus was more on the man aiming his aggression at the poor guy. Another guy with short brown hair was pointing a finger accusatively at the man on the table, and there were plenty of uncomfortable looks in the crowd.

“What’s going on here, Marcel?” Reiner shouted at the crowd, his voice easily eclipsing the shouting. The kid pointing his finger dropped his hand and glanced at Reiner before glaring at the kid on the table. There was a cloud of anger in his eyes that sent a shiver down Jean’s spine and stopped his legs for a moment. 

“This _fag_ grabbed my ass!” Marcel spoke, malice cooling his voice into a potent venom. His poisonous words helped the fear flourish around the students. Jean and Reiner came to the front, since if there was going to be a fight Jean felt like cutting loose, but his itch faded when he saw the kid on the table. He was sweating up a storm and kept shaking his head.

“I didn’t!” He squeaked, but shut up when a fist connected with the table next to him.

“Marcel, back off. If he did it might have been an accident.” Reiner ordered angered kid. His words were lost to Marcel’s temper though. Marcel grabbed the other kid and lifted him with ease form the table. It was then Jean realized the guy getting harassed was a giant. Being a gentle giant was not going to save him though.

Jean stepped forward and placed a hand on Marcel’s arm and glared back at him. “Drop him.”

“What? You his boyfriend?” Marcel’s breath stank of beer.

“No, but I’m his girlfriend so back the fuck off!” A giant freckled girl appeared, grabbing Marcel’s arm and ripping it off the victim. “Touch him again and I’ll plant my foot so far up your ass you’ll be tasting shit for weeks.”

“I’d like to see you try.” Marcel dared.

Everyone has a breaking point for the amount of shit they deal with, and Jean’s was shorter than most. Maybe only Eren’s rivaled him with his notoriously short fuse. He stepped forward, passing Marcel, and kicked him on the back of the knee, bringing the pissed off giant to the ground. He then pressed his foot on his chest and pinned him down. “Get the fuck out of here.”

“Get your foot off so I can end you.” Marcel squinted at Jean.

“I wouldn’t do that.” Reiner laughed, somehow cutting the tension. Everyone looked at him like he was crazy.

“The hell’s wrong with you, Braun?”

“You can’t beat up a legacy of a founding father. Your ass would be grass so fast.”

“I thought he was a legacy of one of our fathers.” The guy who pulled Reiner out asked.

“He’s a Kirschtein. They like to go Greek.” Reiner shrugged. Marcel’s anger seem to run out at that information. The blond hulk walked over to the victim who seemed to still be shaken and sweaty. Reiner brushed him off before facing Marcel again. “And for the record, even if he was gay he would be allowed here. You, however, are not welcomed here. Get out before I get Shadis.”

Marcel dusted himself off and left in a huff, followed by some of his brothers. Jean glared at the boys who left and turned to look for Eren or Reiner. To his surprise, the kid getting bullied and the freckled chick were already gone. In their stead he found Reiner looking visibly shaken and Eren patting him on the back. He also looked back and saw a checkered scarf in the crowd around them.

“What’s up with Reiner?” Jean inquired as he walked next to Eren.

Eren was back to his smiling self and laughed. “He’s a bit star struck.”

“I- I- I…” Reiner kept muttering as a new presence walked up to them. Jean looked and was surprised to find his anatomy TA staring at them.

“Are you the brothers that help Bertl?” Marco asked, catching the three off guard.

“They are we.” Reiner grammatically threw up. “Well I mean I am, these two are just…”

“Pledges. We’re pledges.” Eren offered, catching a glare from Jean and a look of surprise from the older blond. Jean shrugged and nodded. He could get behind this fraternity, if not just for the memory of his grandfather.

“He ran off cause, well… he doesn’t like crowds and that kind of happened. What are your names?” Marco further interrogated.

“Reiner, Eren and…” Reiner gestured to himself and his buddy before he was cut off.

“Jean.” The brunet offered to his TA. Marco smiled and pulled out his phone, typing away.

“It was nice to meet you guys. I’m sure I’ll see you soon.” Marco turned around disappeared into the night, leaving three very confused college students.

“You sure about this, Jaeger?” Jean finally broke the silence. Reiner still had no idea what was going on or who the freckled boy even was. Eren’s stared into the darkness but he seemed focused on something else.

“Yeah. This could be another home.”


	4. Things that Go Bump in the Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Jean learns moving out of home was not the promised land he once thought.

Moving in with friends had hidden consequences that Jean knew about and should have anticipated, but he shrugged them off initially with differing excuses. 

_It wouldn’t happen to him._

_He could deal with Connie’s constant snarky replies._

_Jaeger’s pointed insults could be deflected without harm._

_Even the combined messes of Connie and Eren could be tolerated._

Two weeks. Two weeks was all it took before his nerves were getting grated down inch by inch, or whatever molecular scientific measurement if he was being anatomically correct. Probably micrometer if he had to guess.

The straw that broke the camel’s back was a bowl of instant noodles that Jean stepped in, cracking the plastic and spilling the cold leftovers all over the shitty carpet and ruining his converse. “Damn it Connie! How hard is it to put a bowl in the sink!”

“He’s practicing Smash with Mina and co.” Eren shouted from their side of the dorm.

Fuming with anger, Jean stomped over to the door and went to the RA’s room next door, ignoring the squishing sounds his shoe made the entire trip. Any sense of courtesy was left behind in the pool of ramen broth by the futon. A loud bang was enough to get the attention of anyone inside the RA’s room and a short brown haired girl greeted a rather livid Jean. “Yes?”

“Springer here?”

“Connie!”

“What Mina?” A disgruntled voice shouted back.

“Pissed off kid here to see you. And it’s not Eren.” Mina called back. A familiar beanie-wearing fucker came to the door and seemed only mildly surprised to see Jean. A light breeze blew past him and the faint scent of weed escaped into the hall.

“I stepped in your fucking ramen bowl. Clean it up before it ruins the carpet.” Jean narrowed his eyes.

“What do you-“ Connie quirked an eyebrow, before Jean pointed at his foot. His eyes followed Jean’s hand and saw a soaked shoe, a slight pale yellow puddle forming around it. Choosing laughter over apology, Connie clutched his sides to balance his giggling frame.

Patience is not Jean’s forte and he never pretended it was, but Connie had taken the last of it. Pulling his friend by his collar, Jean shot Connie the most venomous glare he could muster at that moment. “Clean that shit up now, or so help me God I’ll use Barry as the rag.”

“No need to threaten innocent lives. I’ll do it after this round.”

“Now.”

“Now?”

“Yes now!”

A loud groan escaped Connie’s throat as he walked the ten feet to their apartment to take care of the mess. Mina shot a sympathetic look towards her friend before returning inside her dorm. Jean followed her lead and walked back to his, kicking his shoe off in the corner by the door, no longer needing to make a statement. A quick change of socks was in order. 

Once Connie was done cleaning his mess, Jean dared to return to the living room, keeping an eye out for any more mines on the living room floor. Tiptoeing around discarded shirts and a pair of boxers was easy enough and the brunet crashed on the futon like he originally planned. A funeral dirge began playing from his pocket and he let out a sigh in exasperation.

He quickly removed his phone from his pocket and answered as politely as he could, which came across as a mix of rigid formality and mechanical. “Hello, father.”

“No call since you leave and that’s the greeting I get?” A voice laughed across the line. Jean rolled his eyes, knowing his father could not see it. “How’s the dorm life?”

“Full of surprises. You know how to get ramen out of a shoe?” Jean ventured to ask.

“Moving back home and asking Anita.”

“I’m sure she’d love that to be our first conversation in a month.”

“I really got no idea for ya then. Washer?”

Jean was about to make a retort but shut his mouth when he realized that was not the worst idea. “I might try that. How’s mom?”

“No change.” His father’s voice lost any trace of humor and hardened, becoming stern like a doctor would tell a patient their prognosis. “She’s still resting but nothing has gotten worse.”

“And Jaime?”

“He misses his big brother, I think.”

“Are you talking to him?”

“When I can. You know how work is.”

Jean placed the phone in his shoulder and let out a string of curses that his dad hopefully did not hear. “He needs you too.”

“I know. I know.” Talking with his father was almost as bad as reminding himself to do his responsibilities. _Of course he knows. Actually do something about it._ “I hear you’re going Greek in my old man’s frat. It’s not too late to pledge to Alpha Omega Theta.”

“Is that the name of the one you founded?”

“You bet. Wanna make your dad proud?”

“Sorry, the guys from there I met were assholes. I like the guys in Grandpa’s and Rush week technically ended last week.”

“At least you’re keeping it within the family.” Jean could hear the disappointment in his father’s voice, holding in a sigh. He really could care less if he pledged to a frat inside or outside the family. He just wanted a place where he could feel comfortable and himself. Although Reiner and him almost fighting an idiot was also a very good motivating factor.

“Have you heard anything about the girl that got jumped last week?” Jean wondered, changing topics to something that interested the both of them.

“She withdrew from Sina. Probably worried about her safety after that.” Jean’s dad guessed. “Dr. Ackerman was treating her.”

“Makes sense. She didn’t trigger so they probably didn’t need you.”

“Trigger or not, I still need more people for research. Another volunteer is one more closer to finding a cure, or the very least a treatment.”

“Isn’t Levi close to a treatment?”

“That punk? Nah. My lab, on the other hand, is making strides in the right direction. Hopefully we’ll have something to submit by Christmas. You should consider interning with me.”

“Nepotism runs in the family.”

Leaving the conversation there, Jean said his goodbyes and turned off his phone. He knew he should have been studying like Armin was likely doing in the library for their first lab practical but he really could not find the motivation to crack open the anatomy and physiology book that was currently being an expensive paperweight on his desk. The practical was enough to cancel their Thursday night gaming, not that it stopped Connie from blazing it with the RA and practicing his Smash Brothers skills.

Resigning himself to his fate, Jean stretched himself as far as he could on the small futon before jumping to his feet. Might as well get a look at the cardiovascular system before he bombed his grade, and giving Levi and Marco a chance to scold him. 

\---

Benefit of not having game night: no need to cart Connie from the dorm to lab. Jean was too busy glancing over diagrams in his book to notice the bags underneath his best friend’s eyes, showing the hours he put into practicing the night before. A loud yawn escaped Connie’s mouth but Jean kept ignoring him. Eren opted to enjoy the quiet stroll and loosened his red scarf. The weather was nice with the sun shining through the few clouds, a perfect day to spend indoors taking tests and working for Jean.

Any chance of enjoying lab died when the three noticed their professor sitting at the front of the room, glaring at his laptop that was about a decade out of date. Marco was writing instructions on the board, dressed in dark button down shirt and a crème colored scarf. His brown hair was parted in the middle and introduced an air professionalism that Jean had not seen Marco carry about him. He was also surprised to find the TA’s forehead lacked the amount of freckles that dusted his cheeks.

“Mouths shut, pencils out, and one space on either side of you.” Levi ordered the students. Marco gave each student a sympathetic look as he handed out their first practical. When he arrived at Jean, his smiling face frowned and hesitated before giving him his practical. Jean tried to read Marco’s face but could not figure out why he was suddenly unhappy. Not unhappy, but apologetic? 

Jean’s eye glanced back to the paper and he was about to turn it over to begin but a sharp bang drew his attention to the cane directly in front of him, and ultimately the man holding the cane. “Holy shit!”

“Trust me Kirschtein, such things are not holy. Quite the opposite actually,” Dr. Ackerman stared at him, the hollow look in his gaze unnerving him. He pulled his hat off, ignoring his bedhead going everywhere. “A step in the right direction but not what I had in mind.” Jean tilted his head, trying to figure out what else he could be doing wrong. For Levi that could be any list of things. “Please sit away from Jaeger and Springer for this practical.”

His heart sank in his chest at that request. Did he know about the first quiz? Jean’s eyes darted from his professor, to the TA, and back to Levi. He grabbed his belongings and stumbled with the pile to another table, away from just about everyone. He caught Marco mouthing something towards him, but he could not read lips. Waiting for everyone to get their handout this time, Jean began the test and hoped his last minute cramming was enough.

Quick, no double checks, and trust his gut. Those rules got Jean through most his tests in college so far and it helped him navigate through this test, albeit with some pain. Their professor had a reputation for difficult practicals and tests, balanced out by the homework and quizzes the TA’s tried to be generous with, or at least thats what Armin assured Jean and friends when they signed up for the notoriously difficult class. Reflecting on Armin’s life choices that included 8am organic chemistry, Jean wondered how Armin got all three of them to tag along for this class. Persuasive blond genius.

Regardless of his current test that he may or may not have failed, Jean stood up to turn it in, a few minutes after Armin finished. He handed his paper the less menacing TA, along with a look of betrayal. Marco chuckled at Jean’s face before handing him back his first quiz. He looked like he wanted to say something, but Jean ignored him and left for the exit. Outside the door he found a familiar blond boy chatting with their temperamental professor.

“-but I think I can make an exception. He’s a remarkable scientist and I think it’d be good for you.” Levi finished explaining. Armin’s mouth hung open but he nodded furiously before he noticed Jean standing behind Levi. Their professor turned and switched back to his unnerving demeanor to stare at Jean dead in the eyes. A rather loud gulp gave Jean’s disposition away. “That was quick, Kirschtein. I expect a good score if you finished as fast as Arlert here. Perhaps he’s been a good influence on you and Jaeger. Or you just didn’t know your material and wanted to save some time. Which was it?”

“Passed with flying colors, sir.” Jean lied, his tone flattening to hide his emotions.

Levi took a step into Jean’s personal space and hardened his stare. Despite being a head shorter, he still managed to intimidate Jean. Trying to keep his shaking at a minimum, he held his professor’s gaze as long as he could. “We’ll see next week I guess."

His professor left his personal bubble and walked back towards the classroom. The brunet let out a breath he did not realize he was holding until it escaped his mouth louder than he intended. “We’ll see alright.”

“Oh and Kirschtein?” A dry voice called from down the hall, freezing Jean in place. He turned slowly to see Levi with a small smile on his face. “Please leave the tutoring to Arlert. Jaeger has difficulty understanding many concepts and making good choices so please don’t corrupt him further.”

The sound of a cane tapping in beat with Levi’s steps echoed down the silent hallway, leaving a startled Jean and quiet Armin behind. Armin cleared his throat to try and ease the atmosphere. “Snack before work?”

Jean nodded slowly, slowly regaining his composure.

\---

“How did you do on the quiz?” Armin questioned, grabbing a bag of Skittles from a nearby shelf. Jean grabbed chocolate without a second thought.

“Marco gave me a 95. I lost some points to…” Jean grabbed the paper he shoved into his pocket. He Uncrinkled it and stared at the comments on the first question. “’Sharing the joy of knowledge at the wrong time’. Freckles has a sense of humor, I think.”

Armin chuckled and paid for his candy. Jean repeated his action and they began their long walk to the library across campus.

“He seems like a cool guy.” Armin thought out loud, hands sheathed in his jacket pocket.

“Freckled pain in my ass is what he is.” Jean frowned. Armin gave him a quizzical look, encouraging him to elaborate. “He tattled on me and got Levi to scold me. Especially after I saved his friend’s gay ass.”

Armin pursed his lips, thinking carefully about his next words. “Maybe Levi just figured it out? He’s smart as it is and knows Eren pretty well.”

“Maybe. That midget just loves any excuse to call me out.”

“Quit giving him reasons then.”

“I guess it was worth it.”

Armin’s mouth returned to a small smile. “I’m glad you’re worried about Eren’s grade too.”

“Nah,” Jean dismissed. “It was a chance to hold knowledge something over his head. He got lucky it helped him. Could’ve done it again if the dumbass didn’t copy me word for word. Seriously, who’s stupid enough to do that?”

“He probably panicked.”

“Dumbass needs to get his shit together if he’s going to pass this class. Levi has a reputation for a reason.”

“We’ll help him if he needs it.”

“Not during the quiz next time. Not going to give Freckles a chance to get me in trouble again.”

“Like I said, Levi probably found it himself.” Armin reiterated, a sigh slipping into the reply.

Jean shrugged his shoulders and opened the door to the library, holding for his coworker to enter. “What was he talking to you about?”

“Oh, he invited me to a guest lecture in a few weeks. He said it’s meant for grad and medical students but he would let me in.” A sparkle grew in Armin’s light blue eyes that reflected the big grin on his face. “It’s one of the world’s foremost experts on stem cell research and I can’t wait to see it!”

Jean nodded along with Armin’s excitement. Scientific speakers usually drew his dad’s attention and that meant he was likely going to be there, especially if stem cells were involved. If Jean wanted to go he could probably tag along with his father. A devilish grin came across his face because if he went that meant Levi would see him. That could be an easy way to piss off his professor. It was almost tempting enough to do.

\---

Jean’s eyes scanned over the books in the cart before landing on a rather thick book with a picture of a skinless human posing like the thinker. Grabbing the book, he threw it on the desk in front of Armin, scaring his roommate. “You read that one yet?”

“Nope, this is new. Thanks!” Armin scanned the first few pages, slipping on his reading glasses. Within minutes his attention was lost to passages and Jean retreated into the stacks with the cart full of books that needed to find their homes.

Despite being so high up, the sunlight had trouble penetrating the expansive stacks, often causing Jean lose his way. One year here and he still had not adjusted to incomprehensible layout of the stacks. Armin knew them well enough since he was the normal caretaker of the books, but even he deserved a Friday off from navigating the dark, narrow corridors of the stacks.

Some days in the dim lights and generally quiet atmosphere punctuated by the occasional loud typer in the front, it’s not hard to get lost in one’s head. Every little creak, every passing shadow, and every flickering light begin to play tricks on Jean. How Armin could be at peace in these dank corridors was a question Jean did not have an answer to. He was quick to stick as many books as he could back in their proper places, but there were always those few he could not locate their homes. Coupled with his belief that the library may or may not have been haunted, this made for a rather uneasy Jean.

“Nature’s Journal of Life Science. Fuck you and your brethren.” Jean muttered as he struggled to find its proper shelf. His cart bumped into a shelf for the thirteenth time. Whichever asshole left that shelf a foot out of place, Jean hated with every fiber of his being, since it was the only shelf he ever crashed into. It also meant he was going in circles for this last book.

A loud groan broke the relatively quiet atmosphere. Jean turned his head quick enough to crack his neck, trying to figure out if he was hearing things, but the sound of loud footsteps echoing through the stacks caused the butterflies to begin fluttering in his stomach. Another groan shattered the peaceful atmosphere and the steps grew even louder, leading to early onset panic for Jean.

“Fuck this shit,” he cursed, grabbing the cart and sprinting down the stacks. If this place was haunted he had no intention of becoming another one of its spirits. However he was not leaving the cart because that would mean having to venture back into the stacks to retrieve it.

For what felt like hours, Jean ran circles around the stacks as the moans faded but the footsteps grew louder. Whatever he was running from was catching up to him so he ducked around the corner after running down a particularly long and dark row of books. Heavy breaths left his mouth as he began to accept his fate. The chase was coming to an end and the footsteps were now thundering down the stacks he just escaped. If he was going down he was taking whatever this stupid thing was with him.

“En garde, dickbag!”Jean shouted as he grabbed the cart and ran at whatever foul creature was chasing him. Famous last words.

In the darkness not much could seen, especially in Jean’s blind panic. The footsteps seemed to slow and began to turn in the other direction, however they were not fast enough and soon Jean plowed straight into the creature.

The creature yelped as it and Jean tumbled into a mess. The force of the crash drove the cart into Jean’s stomach before he plummeted to the ground, leaving him curling in pain. All he needed was death’s sweet release and he’d be content. “Ow, my legs.”

Jean glanced over to see what he hit because it at least knew English. His eyes widened when he saw a familiar crème colored scarf and the freckled man it was wrapped around. “Oops.”

“Kirschtein? Why did you do that?” Marco rubbed the back of his ankles. Jean forgot about his stomach pain and picked himself back up, offering a hand to his TA. Marco took it and steadied himself on the shelves as he rose up. 

A flush rose to Jean’s cheeks and he rubbed the back of his head. “I thought some crazy thing from hell was chasing me.”

Marco quirked an eyebrow, absently rubbing his legs. Ignoring his TA’s weirded out look, Jean flipped the cart back over and picked up the discarded book. “You play too many videogames.”

“No, that’s Connie. I’m just paranoid.” Jean defended himself.

Another groan echoed down the stacks, causing Marco to jump toward the cart, sending it into Jean’s stomach. He doubled over from the cart landing in the same painful spot from just a few moments earlier. “Oh poop, I’m sorry!”

“And I thought I was the only paranoid one…” Jean commented through gritted teeth. “What in the hell is making that noise?”

“I don’t know and I didn’t plan to stick around to find out.” Marco admitted. He peered over at the book in Jean’s hand and smiled. “Trying to put that guy back?”

“Yeah,” the brunet answered, forgetting about the sounds echoing within the stacks.

Marco plucked the book from Jean’s grasp and motioned for him to follow. Tagging along, he grabbed the cart and followed Marco into the stacks. “I know where he goes.”

“And how’s that? You work here too?”

“Nah. I was the one who pulled him out.”

After circling a few familiar shelves, Marco dipped down on his knees and browsed through a few books before placing it back. Jean looked around the aisle, mentally cursing at himself because he swore he ran through this aisle twice. “Thanks, Bodt. Anyway I could repay you for this?”

“Fuck me!” A voice groaned much closer than Jean wished. Marco’s cheeks flushed a deep shade of red, matched by Jean’s equally embarrassed face. The TA sprang back to his feet and proceeded to walk briskly out of the stacks with Jean right on his heels. They did not stop until then exited towards an isolated study area with papers scattered across the table. Jean coughed twice, attempting to clear any lingering awkwardness in the air, and Marco took his seat.

“Haunted, huh?” Marco quipped, his mouth twisting into a grin.

“And that is why I don’t go back there.”

“Afraid of the ghosts?”

“Shut up, you ran too.”

“You charged me.”

“I said I was sorry!” Jean huffed his cheeks, finally looking over at the table Marco was organizing his papers at. He noticed the papers were familiar. “Are those our practicals?”

Marco nodded as he shuffled the papers together, banging the stack on its side to straighten it out. “Yup, graded for Tuesday’s class.”

“We literally finished that a few hours ago. Don’t you have a life or something?” Jean inquired, not intending for the question to sound so venomous. A hurt look flashed over Marco’s face for a second before vanishing.

“Levi is a demanding professor and I’d rather stay on his good side.”

“Still, that’s a lot to do in one day. I hope you got plans to relax or something.”

His TA placed the papers in manila folder and put that in his leather messenger bag. “My friends are already doing things tonight, maybe tomorrow.”

Jean rubbed his hands together, feeling a bit awkward before recalling something. “Did you rat me out to Levi?”

“What? No!” Marco brought his hands up. “I really don’t know why he moved you. He mentioned it to me before class and I didn’t get a chance to warn you.”

While Marco could have very well been lying, Jean did not believe his TA would do that to him. For once he actually felt kind of guilty for thinking the freckled man would do that. “Sorry for blaming you then.”

“All’s good,” Marco smiled as he made eye contact with Jean. He made his right hand into a fist and slammed it into his left palm. “I just remembered, my friend wanted to thank you and your brothers for the party thing.”

“They aren’t my brothers. Well, I mean I’m still pledging, but… Anyways you were saying?”

“Think they’d be up for some food tomorrow? Bertl likes to do Saturday dinners so I think it’d be cool if you guys showed up.”

“First time we’ve talked and you’re inviting me to dinner?” Jean batted his lashes, earning a snort from Marco.

“Oh, baby!” someone shouted faintly in the stacks.

Marco’s forehead crashed into the table and Jean buried his face into hands. Both of them were entirely done with this situation.

\---

Friday evenings were meant either to party with friends or relax on the futon, both serving the purpose of unwinding for Jean. Tonight was the latter, although his roommates could join if they wanted. Jean sprawled out on the futon, his legs dangling lazily over the edge. His laptop was resting on his chest as he browsed Netflix for some ideas to kill time. He barely acknowledged Armin when he walked back into the dorm.

“Any good shows on?” The blond asked from the kitchenette.

“Nah. You seen twiddle Dee or twiddle Dum?” Jean answered, glancing over to see what brought a deliciously sweet smell to the dorm. Chocolate chip cookies were an improvement from the stale smell of ramen and feet and his roommates had brought an entire batch back, freshly made.

Armin scampered over to the futon with a small plate, leaving his bacon apron on a chair. Jean was still surprised to see him running around in a tank top and baby blue shorts that only went halfway to his knees, not that he questioned it. If he wanted more free food he knew better than to question the cook. 

“No idea where Eren or Connie are.”

Jean moved his laptop with one hand, and placed it onto a clean spot on the floor, while digging the other hand into the futon to prop himself up. Armin arrived with the dishes in time to see Jean’s face grimace. “How do you live with this mess?”

“I stay in my room for a reason.” Armin chuckled. His laughter stopped as Jean slowly pulled his hand out of the futon and a long piece of pantyhose was revealed.

“Better than what I thought, but still. Ew.” Jean crinkled his nose and moved the offensive garment from his immediate vicinity.

“Is that yours?” Armin asked, tilting his head to the side. Jean dropped the pantyhose on the ground and crossed his arms.

“What do you think?”

“Let me go see if Eren has any idea.” Armin gave the plate of cookies to Jean and walked over to his side of the dorm. With the smell overriding Jean’s tastebuds, drool began to form on his mouth. Before he could bite into his cookie, Armin came sprinting back into the living room with a platypus plushie and a blanket. “Grab the cookies and something warm. Now.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Eren has someone over. Trust me and grab your stuff now!”

Jean jumped off the futon and dashed to his room to grab his stuff. “Wait, I’m across the dorm. You can chill in my room if it’s too loud.”

“No amount of soundproofing will block that.” Armin warned, just as a moan echoed across the dorm.

“Oh, not this shit again!” Jean all but yelled, grabbing his blanket and backpack. He stumbled into the living room to grab his laptop.

“What do you mean?” Armin asked, grabbing the tray of cookies from the kitchen.

“Never mind that. Where are we going?”

“Somewhere safe.” Armin informed him, neglecting to mention any important details. Regardless, Jean followed the blond down a few slights of stairs and into another part of Stohess Hall. They parked in front of a door, which Jean proceeded to bang on louder than he intended.

The door cracked open ever slowly to reveal a pair of angry, icy blue eyes and blond hair pulled pack into a ponytail. Annie did not look very happy to see Jean. “What? You better have a good reason for interrupting my recording.”

“Do you have a few moments to discuss our lord and savior Armin Arlert?” Jean asked, motioning to blond next to him.

“What do you and your boyfriend want?” Annie opened the door a little more, showing off her martial arts outfit.

“We aren’t- I’m not-“ Jean garbled his words, Armin stepping in.

“Eren brought a girl back. We brought cookies. Can we have shelter?” Armin explained.

“For my lord and savior, plus his cynical disciple? Sure.” Annie allowed a small smile to grace her face, welcoming in a thankful Armin and flustered Jean.


	5. Black Magic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Armin surprises Jean and Reiner tries (and failes) to to be the world's most discreet fangirl. Also Aliens.

Benefits of late night internet surfing included super-fast speed and Netflix being able to load a movie without buffering in the middle of a show. Jean was at peace in his blanket watching some History Channel special on Aliens that amused him and entertained the blond blanket burrito next to him. Armin was well wrapped in his soft bedding, a little platypus head rested underneath his chin which was wrapped up as well. All his attention was focused on the scarce evidence the show presented, but followed the logic the program argued as proof of extraterrestrials sinking Atlantis.

Light from the laptop reflected off the white living room walls much more effectively than it did back in their dorm. Annie’s place was much smaller than theirs and only had two bedrooms, with a tiny kitchenette, bathroom, and living room. At least Annie was kind enough to provide her own couch to make up for the lack of seating. The entire space from what Jean had seen was Spartan in decoration, meaning there was none. No band poster, no cute motivational posters, no calenders, and no pictures. Her door did not even have her name tag on it, unlike every other dorm Jean passed in the hall. 

The program ended just as a thud echoed from one of the two bedrooms in the dorm. A minute later a sweaty Annie emerged from the room, towel wrapped around her neck, and water bottle in her hand. She flipped the switch for the lights and turned her attention to the unexpected guests. “You guys are still awake?”

“He insisted we wait.” Jean nodded with his head towards his bubbly roommate. Either the late hours or all the sugar from the cookies were getting to Armin.

“Yup,” Armin grinned a little too wide. “You sure you don’t want my food?”

“Nah,” Annie passed on the opportunity. “Too much sugar.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Armin frowned, punctuating his statement with a bite into a cookie. “You’re loss.”

Jean pushed an arm out of his blankety lair to grab a chocolate chip cookie. “You sure you haven’t had enough? You could save some for tomorrow. Well, today I guess.”

“Never.” Armin growled. The blond actually growled at the notion. Annie’s look of disbelief met Jean’s own surpised reaction. “They won’t be fresh.”

“Whatever you say.” Jean scooted a few spaces away from Armin, hoping to keep his arm out of the blond’s reach. Turning his curiosity in another direction, he faced Annie. “Why is your room so tiny?”

“Tiny? You’re the one that lives in the royalty suite. This is normal, my prince.” Annie scoffed.

“Royalty suite?” Jean repeated.

“We have the handicap dorm. More room for everyone.” Armin answered, placing the empty plate on the floor next to another two. Jean glanced behind the couch because there was no way Armin vacuumed up those cookies that quick. 

Holy shit he did.

“Why do we have the handicap dorm? I live in a friggin’ closet.”

“Eren has sleeping issues. He gets the big single.”

“Sleeping problems? You’re joking.”

“No and if you make fun of him for it, I’ll poison the next batch of cookies for you.” Armin warned.

It took a moment to register that as a threat in Jean’s mind since this was Armin, but the serious tone of his friend did not waiver. “You’re bluffing.”

“Try me.”

“You wouldn’t poison sweets. You’d eat them before I got to them.” Jean gestured to the empty plates surrounding the couch.

“Fine, you’re next dinner. Do you want to push your luck?” Armin dared.

“Touché.” Jean raised his hands in defeat.

“Armin threatening Jean into submission, you don’t see that every day.” Annie observed.

“Where is your roommate anyways?” Jean inquired to the other blond in the room. “It’s 3 am and all I have seen is the platypus and aliens.”

Annie shrugged her shoulders, her passive look betrayed by a slight smile on her face. “Don’t know. She moved out.”

“Why?”

“Black magic.” Armin answered, retreating his arm back into the blanket burrito. 

It was Jean’s turn to motion for him to continue. “She got lucky then?”

“No.” Annie replied. “I literally was doing occult shit in the living room when she was moving in. She moved out in the next hour and no one has bothered me since.”

“You believe in that ghost shit?” Jean was slack jawed at the idea of such a thing.

“Nope.” Annie confirmed his previously held beliefs.

“Then _why_?” His head was starting to hurt from all this misinformation. Or maybe it was the end of his sugar rush.

“I didn’t want a roommate and it worked.” Annie supplied. “Now I have a room to record my Youtube stuff.”

“Can I use the spare bed then?”

“There is no stuff in there.”

Jean quirked an eyebrow at that information. Even without a person inhabiting the room, the furniture should still be there, right?

“They took it when she moved out.” Annie answered the unasked question. “As much as I enjoy 3 am conversations, I got an early gym day tomorrow. You two fight over the couch.”

With that Annie refilled her water bottle in the sink, stuck it in the mini-fridge, and returned to her room, leaving a very confused Jean with a very awake Armin. Jean turned to his roommate and was slightly scared by the grin on his face.

“You thinking what I’m thinking?” Armin raised his eyebrows. The chill that ran down his spine paralyzed all of Jean’s limbs, preventing a swift response. He did not know where this was going and that uncertainty was starting to trigger his fight or flight response.

“I don’t know.”

“More Aliens!” Armin yelled, launching himself forward at the laptop, despite being wrapped up. He struggled to get an arm out and fell onto Jean’s lap. A surpised gasp escaped Jean’s mouth as Armin hit play on the next video. Armin inched his way back to a sitting position and his eyes shined in the reflection of the laptop, childlike excitement painted all over his expression. Jean rolled his eyes and adjusted himself for more crazy, but hilarious, theories.

\---

_Sunlight pierced the clouds and lit up the grassy green park. Jean ran in circles like the hyperactive child he was, while a woman smiled endearingly at him from under the shade of a willow tree. The tiny kid ran through the low hanging leaves and crashed on the grass next to his mother. She ruffled his hair, earning small giggles from her child._

_“This is fun, mama!” Jean declared._

_“It is, isn’t it, Jeanbo?” She nodded._

_“Can we stay like this forever?”_

_“We must eat at some point? Or did you stop liking breakfast?”_

_The bright amber eyes of the kid sparkled even further at the mention of sustenance. “FOOD!”_

Clicking and hushed curses echoed softly in Jean’s ear and became progressively louder as sleep slowly cleared his head, flowing with the speed of molasses out of his conciousness. Slow and heavy, gradual and sweet. His movements were about as effective as he roused himself. He blinked open his eyes and saw two people playing games in the blinding light in front of him. As his vision readjusted, he saw a familiar man bun and a blond ponytail. He yawned and tried to stretch his limbs, but found them trapped inside the warm cocoon of his blanket. His movements where further restrained by a weight across his lap and chest. 

The weight readjusted on his chest and Jean recognized the platypus that was now shoved into his face, barely hiding the tuff of blond hair behind it. Armin rolled once more and off the couch, only narrowly avoiding hitting his head on the floor thanks to Jean doubling over to prevent him from slipping further. The commotion caught the attention of the two gamers.

“Oh, they’re up.” Annie commented dully.

“Can one of you guys help? I’m kind of stuck.” Jean requested. Annie did him the favor of grabbing Armin’s head while Jean escaped from his warm blanket and maneuvered the kid back to the couch, still resting peacefully. “Thanks.”

Annie shrugged and returned to the games. Jean recognized the familiar sound of Smash and he rubbed the remaining sleep from his eyes. Not to anyone’s surprise, Connie was dominating Annie.

“Morning, sunshine.” Connie greeted, eyes trained on the screen. Jean nudged him in the back and sat between the two players. “You missed the fireworks.”

“I heard the fireworks with Armin and left.”

“I was wondering why you two were cuddling.”

“We were not!” Jean glared back.

“Replacing me with Army?” A cool voice questioned from the kitchenette. Jean turned and dropped his mouth when he saw Mikasa staring at him blankly, still in workout clothes. She walked over and sat behind him, wrapping her arms around his neck. “I think I should feel offended.”

Jean shrugged his shoulders and relaxed into his girlfriend’s embrace. “He is adorable. Though I think I like your hair more.”

His girlfriend tilted her head forward, letting her long black hair fall on Jean’s face, tickling his nose and letting a small giggle escape him. He brought his hands up and let them slip in an out of Mikasa’s silky locks before grasping the back of her head, pulling her down and bumping foreheads lightly. This sweet gesture received and equally sweet smirk.

“Shit!” Connie shouted, throwing his controller down.

Lighthearted moment ruined.

Diddy Kong was dancing on the screen in victory, confusing Jean and Mikasa. Armin snored peacefully from the couch and Annie stared unimpressed by his childish display. “What? You won.”

“My tech is sloppy. I should have been able to four stock you.”

“Come again?”

“Beat you without losing a life.”

“Thanks.” Annie rolled her eyes, setting down her controller. 

Connie groaned. “No offense. I just need to get better.”

“You play this like every night, how are you not perfect?” Jean wondered. The amount of times he’d come home without seeing Connie in the last few weeks was a new record. Ten days straight. 

“The tournament is next week, I can’t afford a break.” Connie groaned.

“Have you considered practicing without smoking every time? Might improve your reaction time.” A tired voice suggested from the couch. Connie leaned back and stared at a drowsy Armin, slowly emerging from his cocoon.

“Nah, it helps me focus.”

Jean shot Connie a look of disbelief. He was pretty sure that was the opposite of what he needed. Mikasa sat next to him, drawing his attention away from the stupidity that was his best friend. For one of the smartest kids Jean had the privilege of knowing, Connie found new ways to astound him.

“Come to think of it, I think Mina needs more. Preferably stronger. You got any?” Connie questioned.

“Nope.” Armin replied. Jean and Mikasa both turned their heads toward Armin. “I can see if someone I know has something.”

“Armin.” Jean began. The blond shot him a quizzical look. “You smoke?”

“Nope.” Armin smiled, playing with the platypus in his grasp. He went wide-eyed for a moment. “What time is it?”

“Like 11?” Connie answered.

“Crapbaskets.”

Untangling himself from the blanket as best he could, Armin struggled to get on his feet and keep his balance. Connie jumped to his feet and helped the blond steady himself. “If its breakfast you’re worried about we can just call it brunch. No harm!”

“No, I forgot about Eren. I’m late.”

“What? He got laid. I think he wouldn’t mind some morning alone time.” Jean suggested, but the look of dread from Armin seemed to mean something else. Mikasa jumped to her feet, pulling the brunet up with her. Her soft features hardened into her normal blank stare. “What am I missing?”

“You weren’t there for the fireworks then.” Connie realized.

“We were there! I heard the moans and everything.”

“That’s not the fireworks. That’s like the pre-game show.” Connie frowned. “I really don’t know why he tries.”

“Can someone tell me what’s going on?”

Armin was already out of the door, blanket dragging along the floor. Apparently not.

“Thanks for the couch!” Jean shouted into the dorm as he ran after the blond, trying to understand the sense of urgency. Connie and Mikasa followed him as they ran up a few flights of stairs. Armin tapped his foot impatiently outside the dorm, impatiently waiting for someone to open the door. Jean produced a key from his backpack and opened the dorm. Immediately a strong smell of alcohol hit Jean’s nose and he recoiled from the stench. He remembered the place being a mess but it did not smell this bad when he left.

Armin dropped his blanket on a spot of carpet not occupied by leftover clothes and ran for his side of the dorm, while Jean tried to find the source of the offending odor. He walked over to the couch, trailed by Connie. Laying on the futon was a passed out Eren, two bottles of Rum and a 2 liter bottle of Coke occupying the floor by his hands. There was still some Rum left in one bottle but the other containers were empty, yet there were no cups.

The blond ran back into the room with a small trashcan, kicking the bottles next to Eren aside, and placed the small bin by his friend’s head. Mikasa walked slowly over, frowning at the sight in front of her. She gingerly poked him on the shoulder, yet it was enough to stir him from his sleep. His eyes shot open and he rolled over, relieving the contents of his stomach into the well-placed trashcan. Beautiful start to the morning.

Once the coughing died down, Eren grabbed his head. “Ow.”

“Don’t strain yourself. Stay here.” Armin ordered as he went to fetch something. Eren grunted, not even attempting to adjust his body. The blond returned with a glass of water, handing it to his friend.

Eren tested the drink, only taking small sips, before Armin handed him a small pill. Jean would have guessed aspirin, but the fruity color threw that idea out the window. “The hell is that?”

“Something to help him along.” Armin mumbled, placing a stuffed seahorse on Eren’s belly. The brunet pulled the stuffed animal closer to his face and snuggled with it.

“Nice job, Jaeger. I thought you actually had some game.” Jean teased, receiving cold stares from Armin and Mikasa. His girlfriend punched his arm and he curled away from the force.

“Fuck you, Kirschtein.” Eren cursed, relatively quietly from the couch. “This is your fault.”

Jean blinked, a bit stunned by the accusation. How was this his fault? Before he could ask, a hand on his shoulder pulled him around. Armin looked at him and shook his head. “He’s drunk still. Ignore him.”

As if on cue, Eren was quietly snoring again. 

A growl from his stomach brought Jean’s attention to his neglected appetite. Connie and Jean glanced at their blond friend, who gave a reassuring smile, retrieving the apron he discarded the night before and running off to gather ingredients. A tasty free meal was a great way to unwind after being chased from work and ultimately his dorm from the night before. Realization hit Jean like a ton of bricks.

“Shit! Dinner tonight!” Jean thought aloud, earning glances from the three awake people in the dorm.

“As much as I love cooking, I gotta get some more studying done.” Armin glared, annoyed at the idea.

“No not you. Freckled Fuck invited me to dinner and I didn’t get his number.” Jean cursed, not noticing the confusion he was causing.

“Here you go.” Armin slid his phone across the floor, a contact page lighting up the screen. **Marco Bodt**

“How did you get this?” Jean asked, quickly typing the number into his phone.

“Syllabus.”

“Smart.”

“And my last name is Springer.” Connie joined the conversation. His two roommates shot him deadpan looks. “Are we still stating the obvious? And you got a date with the TA? Scandalous.”

“First Armin, now this?” Mikasa tilted her head, a small smirk reappearing on her face. “Never knew I had so much competition.”

“What can I say, I’m a hot commodity.” Jean smirked.

“More like a hot mess.” Connie quipped. Jean scowled and ignored him.

“What did I even do?” Armin whined, stacking the last of his cooking supplies. Connie answered by pulling up a picture of his phone, showing Armin sleeping peacefully on Jean’s chest, with an equally relaxed Jean tilting his head towards the blond. Staring straight at the camera was the platypus, looking trapped between the two heads. Jean turned a light shade of pink, while Armin chuckled. “There were no pillows so I made due.”

“Besides,” Jean coughed. “Jaeger is also coming with me. We got invited ‘cause we helped Freckle’s friend a bit ago.”

“Sure you guys did.” Connie laughed, ignoring the daggers being sent his way by Jean’s angry eyes.

“Don’t let him drink tonight, please.” Mikasa requested.

“That I can do.”

“And don’t forget to kiss him goodbye if the date goes well. That’s key to first dates.” Connie advised Jean, moments before being tackled to the floor by his angry friend.

___

“That’s how Annie got her start? I’m surprised you just don’t ask her for help.” Jean offered to the blond hulk outside the fraternity house. Reiner was laughing from his story while Eren was drinking from his water bottle, keeping Connie’s sunglasses near his eyes.

“Her plan was ingenious. Reaction videos are the best and her roommate never saw it coming.” Reiner laughed. He was dressed in a button down shirt that did not fit him at all. His arms were hugged tightly in all the wrong places, the shoulders were too small, and the front gave him a wavy appearance. How this qualified as formal attire eluded Jean, not that he cared about Reiner’s wardrobe. He had assured the blond it was casual but he insisted.

“Sounds less crazy than what she told me this morning. I don’t know how scaring the shit out of a stranger ties to martial arts videos though.”

“It’s about getting something viral and then seeing who sticks around for the actual content. Plus she got her own recording space. I never would’ve thought of something like that.” The blond hulk rubbed his chin, still grinning from the genius of the idea. He motioned for the others to tag along and they walked in the direction of the restaurant Marco had directed Jean. The TA was surprised by the text, but he at least figured it out fast.

**Me**  
_Where are we getting dinner? Also it’s Kirschtein_

**Levi’s Second Bitch**  
_Marias Pizzeria. Howd u get my number?_

**Me**  
_I have psychic powers._

**Levi’s Second Bitch**  
_Orly? What am i thinking now?_

**Me**  
_You want to give me an A on the Practical_

**Levi’s Second Bitch**  
_Haha u wish. See u tonite_

Why every authority figure Jean ever emailed or texted had the grammar of a middle school girl he did not know, but it certainly irked him. At least he managed to ascertain where they were eating without too much difficulty.

“Why not collaborate with her?” Eren posited.

“I did. I ended up flat on my ass,” Reiner rubbed his neck absently. “Well, it was more like my shoulder blades. She didn’t credit me though. I also might have been on gag reel instead of the actual video.”

“She did that flip thing on you, didn’t she?” Eren guessed.

“Yeah, how’d you know?”

“Been there done that. I know your pain.” Eren rubbed his neck now, leaving Jean with a puzzled disposition.

“You ever going to ask her out?” Jean jumped back into the conversation, keeping his other questions in the back of his mind.

“Why do you keep thinking I like her like that?” Eren answered, his voice going low.

“’Cause you do. You’ve been pinning after her since like third grade.”

“Have not!”

“Fine, sixth grade. Whichever year you started asking out every single blond girl. Except her.”

“Just because I have a type doesn’t mean I liked her, Kirschtein.”

“Bullshit, Jaeger. You stared at her every day. She noticed too.” Jean laughed, leading to a swift punch to his shoulder from his roommate. Reiner joined with a hearty laugh. “You’re the only one that obsessed with hair.”

“Oh yeah, Mr. Asks-Mikasa-Out-by-Complimenting-Her-Hair.” Eren countered, earning a glare from the brunet and leaving Reiner howling with laughter. “What was it you said? ‘I think your hair looks pretty’?”

“Hey, black hair is beautiful and gorgeous. Better than blond, so yellow and unnatural.” Jean shuddered, freezing in place when he caught the cold look Reiner was giving him.

“Don’t diss my beautiful hair, Kirschtein.” Reiner warned, putting a hand through his hair. Jean locked his eyes on a very interesting piece of sidewalk in front of him, letting Eren finally have his turn to laugh. 

Their conversation died as the small pizzeria appeared on the corner of the strip of food chains near campus. Personally Jean had never eaten there, but Connie swore by it as the best pizza whether sober, drunk, high, or any combination of the above. The three entered through the front and quickly realized appearances were deceiving, noticing how open the dining space within the old building actually was. Jean scanned the room for brown hair and freckles, but a familiar checkered scarf caught his eyes first. However, he was found first.

“Over here!” Marco called out waving his hands like a maniac, yet somehow not drawing attention from the other patrons. The three nervously made their way over to a booth in the back, populated by Marco, the gentle giant, and a couple that Jean did not recognize. Jean, Reiner, and Eren sat across from the other four, silence looming over the pizza table like a heavy fog. Jean glanced to his left and saw Reiner keeping tight lipped and staring ahead, shaking slightly, while Eren just rested his head on the table, nursing a killer headache. Starting conversations were not his strength, and that seemed to be true for the other four as well.

“The usual tonight, kiddos?” A loud voice blew the fog away, stunning Jean and Reiner out of their nervousness. They looked over at the confident voice and saw more freckles. Except this was a girl. Did Marco have a sister? She had similar brownish blackish hair, but the poor lighting did not help Jean’s vision. Her mouth fell to a scowl when she noticed the three new guests. “Oh, frat boys. Lovely.”

Definitely not related to Marco, Jean gleaned.

“They were the ones who helped me, remember?” The giant with a brown of mop hair, not unlike Jean’s, clarified. The scowl still remained on the waitress’ face.

“So the usual times three? Hulk looks like he could take one by himself and his buddies look emaciated. That one looks high.” She pointed to Eren, earning a middle finger from the resting brunet. Her scowl lessoned with that gesture and left to place the order.

“She’s pleasant,” Jean muttered, struggling to not let the table sink back into silence. Thankfully Marco took the bait and laughed along with him.

“That’s Ymir for ya. She’s really protective of us so she isn’t exactly happy with fraternities after that weekend.” Everyone on the opposite side of the table shook their heads in agreement. Introductions were quickly exchanged and Jean learned the giant was called Bertl, and the couple was named Franz and Hannah. Their names sounded familiar but he could not place where he had heard them before.

“Such a shame what happened. That’s not becoming of the gentleman nature Greek life stands for and doesn’t represent our culture as a whole. I promise you that Marcel won’t be making another appearance at our house anytime in the near future.” Reiner nodded, leaving his shyness behind.

“That’s fine, he was probably drunk and not thinking straight.” The brown haired giant assured Reiner.

“He only thinks straight.” Reiner joked, getting a few chuckles from around the table. “He was much more pleasant in high school but people change. Except he didn’t for the better.”

“It was just a misunderstanding.”

“You’re way too forgiving Bertl.” Hannah frowned next to him. 

“It’s a good trait. ‘S the only why he deals with Ymir’s shit,” Franz laughed. Marco frowned but nodded.

“Thanks for inviting us to dinner,” Jean interjected, feeling the conversation starting to wind down again. 

And like the first time Marco followed up with a save. “No problem, it’s the least we could do.”

“What is the name of your frat anyways?” Bertl asked.

“We are Sigma nu Kappa. Si-kap for short,” Reiner answered. Bertl shook his head and typed something into his phone. He slid his phone across the table to Reiner.

“Could I have your number? I’d like to mention you guys in one of my upcoming videos.” Bertl mentioned, a tiny smile appearing on his face. Although Jean was surprised by this, Reiner’s mouth dropped and he was gaping like a fish.

“O-Of course. I’d be honored!” He declared loudly, receiving a glare from Ymir across the room.

“Keep your voice down, Reiner.” Eren talked into the table.

“Sorry, just… honor. Surprise. That.”

“More like fangirling.” Jean rolled his eyes, keeping an eye out for a nonexistent punch.

“You know about my channel?”Berlt raised an eyebrow.

“Of course! Best Let’s Plays this side of the country. Also saves me from having to buy new games every week.” Reiner complimented, tinting Bertholdt’s cheek’s a light red. Marco patted him on the shoulder.

“Told you people know about you.” He grinned.

A pitcher of beer slammed onto the table, startling Eren from his rest. Ymir cackled at his pain, and laughed even harder when he growled at her. “Alcohol for the frat boys and soda for the others.”

“Water for this one and Coke for me.” Jean ordered.

“I thought you Greek boys only existed on cheap beer.”

“Not me. And this one ain’t drinking that shit tonight.”

“Yes I can.” Eren interrupted.

“You can but you won’t. Mikasa will kill both of us.” 

That got Eren to shut up.

“Two boys on a short leash, eh? My mind keeps getting blown tonight.” Ymir frowned, returning to grab the other drinks.

Everyone fell into a casual conversation after Ymir returned with the pizza. Eren jumped straight into the food and drink and stuffed his face full, effectively keeping him out of conversation. Reiner took it upon himself to go through the beer, occasionally letting Bertl get a taste whenever he needed more. Franz and Hannah survived in their own little happy world. To keep himself from entering conversation with anyone, Jean made sure to keep a slice of pizza in the proximity of his mouth for as long as he could, only making time to check Eren had not passed out. Marco jumped in and out of his neighbors’ conversations with some social skill that Jean was impressed with. Like all good things pizza runs out and conversations die, meaning Jean was out of excuses for being anti-social.

“If you got any ideas for a novice like me, I’m all ears.” Reiner asked the Youtube Celebrity across from him. Bertl thought carefully about his response before committing to anything.

“If I get any ideas I think I’ll tell you, it’s the least I could do for your help.” Jean realized that did not mean much, but Reiner’s reaction looked like a kid opening the Christmas present he had been asking for all of December.

Not feeling up to talking, Jean excused himself to go to the bathroom. He had no need to pee or take a dump so he just ran his hands under the water of the sink, occasionally splashing some of it onto his face. Despite the cold water working its freezing touch into his skin, a yawn managed to sneak out of his lips, signaling previous night’s escapades catching up to him. Rather than return to the table, he opened a stall and sat on the toilet, leaning back so he could let his eyes rest.

Darkness let the tired teenager rest blissfully, until thunder roused him from his sleep. He was brought shouting into reality. “What the fucking shit waffles?!”

“Uh, you alive in there?” A quiet voice asked, laced with concern and uncertainty. Jean’s addled mind could not figure out who it belonged too.

“Yeah, just waking up.” Jean answered, pulling himself off the toilet. His joints ached in all the wrong places; even his neck was incredibly stiff. He opened the stall and ran straight into a checkered scarf. “Shit, sorry.”

Marco pushed himself away from Jean and did a once over of his student. His face was wrinkled with worry. “Are you sick?”

“No, just recovering from last night.” Jean cracked his neck. Marco’s pleasant features returned.

“Not sure if you passing out on the toilet or Eren snoring into the table was a better idea.”

“I should probably get him back to the dorm then.”

“Reiner already took him.” Marco informed him.

“What?! They left me?” Jean scowled. He grabbed his phone and glanced at the clock. “I was only out for 30 minutes.”

“Yeah but they thought you and the pizza didn’t agree so they didn’t want to disturb you.” Marco offered as an apology. Jean took a breath, trying to calm himself down. He could beat Eren and Reiner for their assumptions and stupidity later. “I said I could drive you back, it’s not an issue.”

Jean gave Marco his most skeptical look but shrugged it off. It was not Marco’s fault that his friends left him behind, so he could at least try to be thankful he was willing to help him. Try did not mean he came across that way though.

They both exited the bathroom and found a rather shocked Bertl in the arms of Ymir. Now it was Marco’s turn to be confused.

“You alright?” Bertl cautiously asked.

“He probably shat a brick and died from the strain. Marco’s presence brought him to life I bet.” Ymir guessed, pointing to Jean. “Though it sounded like a painful resurrection.”

“I was napping and Bodt scared me.” Jean clarified, electing to ignore the freckled girl. Bertholdt went wide eyed for a second and pulled out his phone. He dialed a number and walked off to the side.

“You and the other skinny fuck seem to have the same idea. I woke his ass up with the bill. His face was priceless.” Ymir recalled, her grin widening as she dwelled on the moment. “Anyways I got more tables to manage, get out of here.”

The boys turned to find Bertl talking with someone on his phone. “Yeah, I think I got an idea for ya. I’ll even help you!”

Marco shot his friend a questioning look, but the non-freckled giant shooed him away. “Looks like it’s just us. Where do you live?”

“Stohess Hall.” Jean curtly replied as they opened the door to leave. A small body ran into both of them as they tried to exit. Both stumbled and lost their balance, not knowing what hit them. A brunette girl helped steady them.

“Marco, I’m sorry!” She apologized to the TA. She glanced over at Jean and turned her head. “And sorry to you too… Kirschtein?”

Jean squinted at the girl but he could not put a name to her. How she knew him he had no idea but if it was by last name his best guess was Levi’s class. “You are?”

“Pierre!” She smiled, confusing both guys in the doorway. Who the hell was Pierre? The only Pierre Jean even recalled was the damn poster Connie named. The lightbulb clicked the second he knew that.

“DIC girl!” he declared. It took a few seconds for Jean’s mind to register what he said, but he was a little too far in to face palm himself now.

“Excuse me?” Marco’s mouth fell. The girl seemed unaffected by the comment though.

“Exactly. I’m Sasha,” she reintroduced herself.

“How is that going for you?”

“Oh you know, small but its coming.” Sasha answered.

“Excuse me?!” Marco’s face was two shades darker, if that was even possible in the badly lit entryway.

“Give it time and it’ll grow. Probably.” Jean guessed.

“Yup, just needs something exciting to get attention. Otherwise I’m boned.” Sasha frowned.

“Its still early in the year, you’ll get loads soon. I believe in you.” Jean struggled to keep a straight face, or even feign interest. At this point he was just curious how dark Marco’s face could get.

“We’ll explode through the roof in no time.” Sasha raised her hands, mimicking a bomb blast.

“EXCUSE ME?!” Marco knew he was out of the picture, but this was just ridiculous. “Sasha, you don’t have a penis.”

“Of course I don’t, we’re talking about the Diversity Initiative Collective. Get your mind out of the gutter, Marco.” Sasha pretended to be aghast. The TA brought his hands to his face, letting out a held breath.

“Why are you even here? Shouldn’t you be grading your class’ work?”

“Was doing that.” Sasha sighed, dropping her hands back to her side. “Smoked out again.”

“What?” Jean wondered.

“And it got smellier, I swear! Is it that hard to open a window?” She further complained. “Time to stress eat. Deuces!”

With that, she walked past the two and towards an empty spot at the bar. Marco shrugged and proceeded to his car, Jean following closely behind like a small child.

He followed his TA to a white Honda Accord, a small four door car with faded paint and a gash deeply etched into the driver side door. Marco manually opened his car and reached across his seat to open the passenger door, retrieving a messenger bag lying in the front passenger seat. Jean took his place on the tan leathered seat. The driver quickly turned the car on and buckled his seatbelt. Jean waited for the car to move, but the automobile remained still. He turned to look at Marco, who was patiently tapping his hand on the steering wheel.

“Seatbelt.” He briefly explained, earning a groan from Jean. _He’s one of those drivers._

“Okay, grandma,” Jean bitterly agreed, buckling up. Marco hummed in satisfaction before pulling out of the parking spot in a breakneck maneuver, leaving Jean grasping the door for dear life, before speeding out of the lot. They parked at the redlight in front of the intersection, faster than Jean could process what happened. His knuckles were white when he pulled then back from the door.

“You were saying?” Marco asked with a twinkle in his eye. Jean dared to look at his TA before sitting straight up.

“I was asking what Sasha meant by getting ‘smoked out’.” Jean redirected the sarcastic rhetorical question.

“Oh her roommate likes to smoke marijuana. A lot.” Marco answered. Jean nodded along, all too familiar with the problem. At least Connie had the courtesy to keep it out of their dorm. “Wouldn’t surprise me if she reported her soon because that’s like the bazillionth time this week.”

“We all run out of patience at some point. I know her pain.”

“Is that why Eren had Conrad’s glasses tonight?”

“Oh that? No. Jaeger’s the reason I’m tired as shit. But Connie is the reason I can relate, yes.”

“What happened last night?”

“Same thing as the library.”

“Aren’t you just lucky.” Marco chuckled, readjusting his hair and scarf in the rearview mirror.

Jean scoffed. “That is not the word I would use. Unfortunate or ironic are more accurate.”

“Really? Why?”

“That is another conversation for another day.” Jean grinned, the car coming to rest in front of the dorm. “Thanks for the ride. Tonight was eventful, if anything.”

“No problem, you should join us again. I think you and Sasha enjoyed tormenting me a bit too much.” Marco laughed.

“You make it too easy, Bodt.” Jean cracked a small smile as he unbuckled his seatbelt. “’S only way I can get you back for class.”

“That is not my fault! But if you want more chances you can always join us. I think you’d have fun.”

“Maybe,” Jean admitted, not fully committing to the idea of befriending his TA. He was not about to admit aloud that he had a decent time, even if part of the time was spent passed out on a toilet. At least the end of the evening was interesting. “I guess I’ll see you in lecture. If I got any questions about the homework I’ll just text ya.”

“How did you get my number?” Marco remembered, still confused.

“Black magic.” Jean taunted by making wave motions with his fingers, leaving a mildly annoyed, but smiling Marco in the Honda.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay in getting this out but Easter Holiday is a big thing here in Germany so I took adwantage of that. In return this was a little longer than my last few posts. I hope everyone is enjoying the story so far.
> 
> If you guys have any input or things you'd like to say please leave a comment or you can send me a message on tumblr. I greatly appreciate feedback and it really feels good to hear people's thoughts!


	6. The D

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Super Smash Brothers leads to poor decisions, threatens friendships, and flusters Jean. Also a new masked player enters the fray!

“Ow! What did I do?” Eren rubbed his shoulder, wincing slightly from the lingering sting.

Jean grabbed a plastic red plate from the stack of stolen goods atop of the mini fridge, ignoring his roommate’s question. A heavenly smell stole all his attention, leading him towards the counter where the sizzling sound beckoned his stomach. A low growl answered the call, earthy and demanding, yet embarrassing. Armin’s hushed chuckle lead to hands trying to quiet the beast that dwelled in the confines of Jean’s body. Sometimes it was butterflies, other days it was empty, but today it seemed to be the Lochness monster.

“There’s plenty of bacon for everyone. Don’t worry,” Armin informed Jean, his eyes pointed at the growling stomach though. He began peeling a banana as the group dug into their food.

The four roommates gathered around their tiny excuse for a kitchen table, bacon and pancakes in hand, ready for their Sunday morning brunch. Eren’s fierce green eyes glared at the relaxed amber ones across from him, not forgetting the early morning hit. His mouth opened, but a banana was quickly shoved into his mouth. Armin pulled his arm back and left his fruit in Eren’s mouth, not noticing the cold look being sent his way.

Connie’s snicker received the last venomous look of the morning, completing the journey of Eren’s eyes around the table. If patronizing jokes were a currency, then Connie was rolling in the dough. “Didn’t even choke? I’m surprised.”

And if looks could kill Connie would have been face first in his plate at that instant, probably how he would want to go. Years of friendship with Jean Kirschtein meant he had built an immunity for such discouraging body language so he merely shrugged it off. Jean, however, was not about to let this opportunity go by him. “No gag reflex? Guess all those years of sucking dick paid off.”

Armin choked on his pancake and Connie spat his milk back into his cup. Eren chomped the banana in half, throwing the other half in Jean’s face but he was too busy laughing at his own joke to even care. “Fuck you, Kirschtein!”

“I don’t swing that way, Jaeger. Better luck finding some other guy to screw.”

“And we both know I don’t either, so go to hell!” Eren shouted, right back. Connie was too lost in his own laughter to notice Armin’s features gradually hardening.

“No loss for the guys there. If Friday night was any sign indication.” Jean teased, taking a cheap shot at Eren. His words incensed Eren, anger darkening the corners of his eyes and reddening his olive cheeks. 

“Yeah well-”

“Enough!” Armin interrupted, interjecting an immediate ceasefire to the war of words and Connie’s laughter. “Jean, I won’t make bacon anymore if you keep teasing Eren.”

“Yes, sir.” Jean mumbled.

“And you,” Armin’s gaze turned to Eren. “I didn’t shove a banana in your mouth to devolve into… whatever _this_ is. You know better. Now both of you apologize or no more food.”

“Sorry, Jaeger.

“Same to you.” Eren poked his pancake lightly with his fork, not bothering to face Jean. Awkward silence clouded the next few minutes of breakfast while the guys slowly chewed their food. Connie’s curiosity ultimately dispelled the cloud with a breath of fresh air.

“Why did you gag him with a banana?” he wondered.

“So they wouldn’t fight.” Armin nibbled on his bacon, relishing the savory taste.

“Not your smartest idea,” Connie criticized. Armin nodded in agreement, ignoring the soft chuckles coming from Jean and even Eren.

“I punched you for leaving me last night with Bertl and the freckled twins.” Jean answered Eren’s lingering question.

“Aw, you didn’t take advantage of alone time with Marco?” Connie feigned shock, his hand slapping the side of his face. Jean rolled his eyes at the faked reaction.

“No, that’s just awkward. Befriending the TA just sounds weird.”

“Why? He’s gotta be like our age.”

“That’s like brown nosing. I don’t do that shit.”

Eren’s boisterous laughter drew a glare from Jean. “Dude that’s not brown nosing. That’s just being socialable. You know, the thing you suck at- ow!”

“Be nice!” Armin scolded Eren, pulling his spoon back from Eren’s head. “But more friends can’t hurt. He seems like a nice person.”

“Yeah, yeah. Maybe he can save Jaeger and Connie’s grades.” Jean smirked.

“Fu- ow!” Eren growled, rubbing the bruise Armin’s spoon probably left on his head.

“D is for diploma, dude. I’ll pass.” Connie defended his work ethic. “Besides, I’ll have enough money from Smash to survive off of if I fail.”

Jean and Armin exchanged worried looks before turning to Connie, a bit unnerved by his completely serious disposition. “You think you can win the tournament next weekend?”

“Oh yeah, my tech is great with Diddy! Your dad’s money is mine. Well, his and everyone else’s in the pot.”

“Back off! If I enter I’ll use my own money, thank you very much. Who says I’m even going to play?”

“The paper on your desk that you signed saying you’ll enter.”

Jean jumped to his feet and bolted to his room, looking around the room for this so-called paper. Sure enough on his desk was a form he did not recognize. His eyes glanced over the words quickly, not recalling reading any of it. At the bottom of the paper were a date and a signature, except something seemed off. He studied the signature a big longer and realized that was not his handwriting.

“Connie, you little shit!”

\---

“That might’ve been the fastest I’ve ever seen him move.” Eren broke the silence surrounding their journey to Sigma nu Kappa. Jean grumbled to himself, ignoring the light-hearted snicker from his roommate.

“Shoulda ran faster.” Jean huffed. He readjusted the trophy on his head, Barry the Beanie. The poor piece of red clothing reeked of weed and cheap conditioner but it was the best punishment Jean could think of at the time. Eren pulled Jean’s dark green beanie further over his ears, partially to keep out the cold and partially to hide himself further behind his beanie and red scarf. 

Summer’s last few days of warmth were beginning to give away to fall frosty touch. Eren’s breath fogged up in front of him, leading to him pulling his old red scarf closer to his mouth. While Jean had a special place in his heart for terrible things like the cold and Connie’s sass, Eren’s personal hatred for the season was unrivaled in their tiny friend group. His hatred of Jean used to be a close second, but that faded since high school and almost died in their previous year of college.

“Are you still going to be in the tournament?”

“I could probably drop out, but now I want to kick his ass.”

“He’ll clobber you though.”

“One on one, yes,” Jean admitted. “But if I can just make it further than him then I’ll be good.”

“Can you even play Smash?”

“Dude, I grew up with Connie. I haven’t played the new one that much but I know the basics well enough. Who do you think was his first punching bag?”

“So you were his first bitch?”

Jean opened his mouth to argue, but closed it because Eren was more or less correct.

The dilapidated fraternity house stood out from the surrounding Greek houses, much smaller and run-down compared to the neighboring buildings. In the sunlight Jean could see more details that’s he missed at night including the chipping white paint and faded blue Greek letters that announced who own the building. Eren and he stepped across the overgrown grass and toward the small porch.

“Welcome!” Reiner shouted as he jumped out the door, knocking both roommates on their backsides. He laughed loudly and stuck his hands out to help his pledges up. Jean scowled at his friend, but took his hand nonetheless. “Ready to meet the others?”

Jean would be the first to acknowledge how nervous he was at meeting his fellow pledges, as well as the rest of the members of the fraternity. He knew next to nothing about the organization, its reputation, or who even wore the letters of the fraternity in public. His grandfather was always a private man and never talked about his college days. All conversations were kept to basic pleasantries and research, nothing more and nothing less.

Of the few people Jean could recall wearing the letters of Sigma nu Kappa, they all seemed quiet and did not bother him too much. The only true interaction he ever had with the group was from Reiner, which was like listening to a groupie yell about their love for whichever band they happened to be listening to at the time.

Most of the information Reiner rained on Jean went right in one ear and out the other, things he did not care to listen to. Facts about scholarships, community service, charities, none of these were deemed important enough to stay in his head. He knew it would bite him in the ass later, but he could always relearn during the next few weeks. For as much apathy as Jean had, Eren’s enthusiasm more than made up for. His eyes lit up with every new useless trivia about the fraternity that seemed cool or awesome to him. He reminded Jean of a puppy that just found a new home, taking in the surroundings with wide eyes and a giant grin. Jean played the part of an old house cat, scowling at vaguely familiar corners and waiting for the perfect moment to piss on the carpet. 

Figuratively of course.

The layout of the house was as straightforward as one would expect of a college house. One central hallway ran from the front to the back, with various rooms starting from said hallway. At the end of the hall were the stairs to the basement and second floor, where the entertainment center and more housing respectively were located. Reiner guided his two pledges down the stairs and into living room, where a couple of guys were relaxing, some lost in talk.

“Hey guys, these are Eren and Jean,” Reiner introduced. Eren gave an enthusiastic wave while Jean’s was pitiful at best. Various greeting were shouted back at them and the two eventually settled next to their fellow pledges. All two of them. One had a bad case of a bowl cut, and the other had messy brown hair. Jean missed the brown haired kid’s name but bowl cut was Marlowe. He had unfortunate high school career written all over his face.

“So these are the fresh meat?” Someone that actually rivaled Reiner in height asked, walking over from the TV. Jean recalled his moppy hair as the guy who fetched Reiner for the fight, but in the light Jean could see his stern stance and parted hair. “”I’m Sam, maggots. Welcome to hell!”

“Oh calm your tits,” Reiner rolled his eyes. “Today we’re just going to go over some history and bond. I hope you guys like video games and beer.”

Was this what his grandpa left behind? Jean was honestly confused this is what his family told legendary college stories over Thanksgiving. Maybe it was just his dad’s fraternity that had a good time. A knock brought Jean back to reality. Everyone in the room turned to see someone leaning in the corner by the stairs. “Hello?”

“Bertl, Franz, come right in!” Reiner welcomed. Berthodlt waved awkwardly while Franz cracked an award winning smile.

Jean quirked an eyebrow at the unexpected guests but waved nonetheless. Eren copied both his gestures but gave them a warm smile instead. The two guys stood next to Reiner as he quickly explained who they were.

“Is he the guy from the party?” Sam guessed.

“Yes, but he is also our new video promoter.” Reiner announced, but the multiple looks of confusion.

“Is that even a position?”

“Now it is.”

“Reiner, you can’t make shit up without telling me.”

“Can we talk?” Reiner pulled Samuel to the side, leaving the room awkwardly quiet. Marlowe coughed awkwardly before squinting at Bertholdt. Recognition flashed across his face before he pointed his index finger at him, causing Bertl to shift nervously on his feet.

“You do the things! I mean- shit. You do the Youtube videos!” Marlowe realized. Bertl let out a breath of relief before giving a smile while Jean and Eren chuckled to themselves.

“That’s him alright.” Franz laughed.

“What brings you here?” Eren joined the exchange.

“Oh, I’m pledging with you all. If you guys don’t mind.”

“The more the merrier!” Reiner shouted form another room, before a loud thud echoed behind him.

“Quit making decisions!” Sam cursed loudly.

___

Once Samuel and Reiner reached an understanding, meaning they stopped shouting at each other and agreed to disagree, Reiner left to give Bertl a tour of the house and Franz was introduced to everyone. Samuel lead the pledges up to the second floor balcony overlooking the front of the house. In the center of the dirty balcony was a long brown table, sturdy yet aged. Surrounding the chipped table were eight patio chairs of varying quality, and one giant chair at the head of the table. Samuel motioned for the pledges to sit before sitting in the lone wooden chair at the head of the table.

“If you guys haven’t figured it out, I’m the President of the chapter here. I’m a senior in mechanical engineering so my time is divided pretty much between studying and managing what little there is around here. As you guys can see,” Sam gestured to the house. “This place has seen better days. When I joined it was one of the biggest groups on campus and one of the most respected. And then everyone graduated. This year we want to start rebuilding, beginning with the members and the house.”

“Is that where we come in?” Jean frowned, not liking the idea of being used.

“Yes and no. We only offered you guys pledges because you’re bright or come from good backgrounds,” Sam answered. “Or you got show-horned in by Reiner.”

“Hey!” Franz chuckled.

“Or we like your quality of character.”

“Is that a shot at me?” Jean deadpanned.

“Take the compliment.” Eren elbowed his side.

“Where was I going with all of this? Oh yeah. This semester we are going to be active around campus and will require your help at certain times for things like service and shit. Every Sunday you guys will learn about our history and be taught by the brood mother.”

“Who?”

“Reiner. Today he’s… preoccupied.”

“Fangirling.” Jean corrected.

“That.” Sam nodded. “So I’ll keep it short and let you guys go. We have the best GPA average of any fraternity, being small has its advantages. We also do two big community service events for our charity. Every Greek organization sponsors some sort of philanthropic group and ours happens to support victims and families affected by Titan.”

Samuel paused to let that information sink in, quickly glancing around the table to take in everyone’s expressions. Shock was the initial reaction before each individual processed what they heard. The cool fall air felt colder around Jean as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Franz and Marlowe both seemed the most surprised while Eren found a knot in the wooden table that suddenly became interesting. Jean’s gut sunk into the chair and he fell back against the cheap plastic, static pulling his shirt further in.

“Titan?” Franz broke the silence.

“Yes, do you have a problem with that?” Sam questioned, as if testing the new pledge.

“No. It’s just… unexpected.”

“If you’re worried we just raise money for the causes and we don’t personally meet anyone so don’t worry. Not that you have any reason to. Anyways.”

Sam continued educating the small group on the modern history of the fraternity and some of the semester plans. Jean retreated into his own little world and any potentially new information went over his head. Much to his surprise even Eren seemed to follow him to some other realm of existence, no longer interested in the conversation. Jean and Eren made eye contact for a brief second before returning to whatever vague object in the distance captured their attention.

Eventually the sun began to set and the pledges moved back inside. They found a study hidden behind one of the many doors on the first floor, as well as a library full of too many books to count. The one thing that seemed to be the common theme of the house was how rough of shape it seemed to be in. Peeling wallpaper, chipped paint, even a few broken windows only seemed be the start of the problems. Despite these issues the building still managed to feel homely and had a nice atmosphere with a few nice guys around every corner and Reiner’s boisterous livening the house with its loud echoes. Jean guessed the last one would get annoying fast.

Jean and Eren said their goodbyes before walking out towards the main street, both looking over their shoulders at the building.

“Still think this is going to be a good home?” Jean thought aloud.

“Yeah. I like it. Reminds me of someone I know.” Eren hummed before pulling his scarf near his mouth. He spun on his heels and began walking to the neighboring house. “I’m going to pay Levi a visit. I’ll catch you guys later.”

“Give him my regards.” Jean asked, sarcasm heavy in his voice.

“We both know what he’s gonna say.”

“ _Fuck off, Kirschtein_!” They both mocked their professor.

___

The week flew by faster than Jean remembered, with the first actual anatomy test approaching. Tuesday lecture was not something anyone except Armin looked forward to, and he remained the only happy student for the duration of the class after Levi personally handed back the practicals. Armin received a curt nod of approval, Connie received a cold glare, but Jean and Eren received no real reaction. Instead they had to meet after class with Levi.

Levi berated Eren for a less than stellar performance, and Eren stood there with his tail in between his legs. He looked like the family dog getting shamed, which only increased Jean’s fear. Once Levi was finished, he dismissed Eren and kept a steady gaze on Jean.

“D.” Levi stated, clearly not impressed with the letter.

_Is for diploma… get out of my head Connie._ Jean mentally cursed to himself. “Yes.”

“Last week you told me you passed with flying colors. If this is flying colors than I’m Peter fucking Pan. Am I dressed in green and wearing tights?” Levi’s monotone voice was as dry as his humor.

“No, sir.”

“At least you’re not color blind too. I expect better of you on the next test. Otherwise get a tutor with Jaeger.”

The cracking sound of Levi’s cane on the old linoleum floor reverberated in the back of Jean’s head for the remainder of the week. Every throb pounded in beat with the damn cane. He poured over the anatomy book in his free time, even at work, in order to make sure the midget would back off. Armin offered to help him but he did not to accept help from his friend. He was damn sure he was Armin’s equal on many subjects, and he wasn’t about to let Armin’s natural affinity for science trump his determination. Or his pride.

Eren’s attitude matched Jean’s for about the first few hours after class before he let cheap beer wash away his problems, not letting them return with the hangover. He was smart enough to stay functional but stupid enough to refuse help from his friends at any point. What Jean could learn in one hour took Eren at least three and a can of Red Bull to retain. Eren’s sheer determination let him get through most things and it probably was the reason he got through the week, welcoming the weekend with open arms, open mouth, and plenty of shitty beer.

Finally the day of reckoning was upon Connie. His roommates were thankful that he was aware enough to get some sleep before Saturday instead of getting shitfaced with Eren, but no shower on earth could remove the perpetual smell of weed on his skin. While his roommates studied for the test, he spent his free time repeatedly practicing for the tournament. The seed of panic that kept the kid up at night grinding his controller into the ground blossomed into a flower full of confidence the night before and remained healthy as ever in the morning.

“Time to win me some beer money!” Connie sang in the bathroom, making sure the volume was high for his grumpy roommate to hear.

Jean remained on the couch, easily ignoring the taunts by watching Youtube. He had no intention of winning the tournament so stress was not a thing for him. All he had to do was beat Connie and everything would be right in the world. “I’m pretty sure you’re just gonna spend it on weed.”

“Ooh, a celebratory blunt is a good idea!” Connie agreed, stepping out into the living room ready to go. He pranced over to the cart lying in the middle of the room and jumped in. “Come my steed, we must go forth and claim my treasure!”

“Call me your steed again and Barry is taking a surprise trip to the laundry room.”

“You wouldn’t dare!” Connie gasped, grabbing his beanie protectively.

“He smells like you after your first all-nighter. If I beat you he’s going to take a one way trip to the washer.” Jean crinkled his nose as the air from the cart gently pushed the offending smell towards him.

“You want to make a bet then? Fine! If I win you owe me dinner for a week. And you gotta streak around all floors of the building!” Connie declared. Jean pushed the cart straight into the elevator door without pushing the call button. “Ouch!”

“All of that for washing your damn hat?”

“Yes, are you chicken?”

“Barry is going to smell like Chamomile for the next four months by the time I’m done cleaning him.”

“What does that even smell like?”

“Me kicking your ass.”

“So nontangible.”

“That’s it. I’m bleaching the hat.”

“No! He’s color safe only!”

\---

Posters advertising the tournament on campus were few and far between so it made sense there was only a group of about two dozen guys present in the tiny classroom. Connie hopped out of his carriage and Jean dumped the cart in a nearby classroom, pretty sure it was not in use. His nose crinkled at the stench that floated around the room, trying to escape through any crevice available. Connie was not the only person who seemed to dodge hygiene in favor of the game. While there were only a few people, he recognized Connie’s practice partners. His eyes widened when he saw a familiar freckled face.

Give a toddler sugar and a new puppy and the excitement there would still not be able to describe Connie’s joy. He was jumping from group to group, table to table, all while staring at people and meticulously gauging the players. Jean remained in the corner of the room, choosing to ignore everyone with a frown, until Connie bounced back to him. His grin was even wider than before if that was even possible.

“Dude, I got this.” He declared.

“Really? How many are even playing?” Jean wondered.

“Sixteen. The ones I saw are scrubs. Scrubs!”

“Doctor’s outfits?”

“No, noobs. Beginners. Weaklings! How dare they trample hallowed ground without any respect for the game!”

“You signed me up, remember?”

Connie shrugged as a short man with glasses tapped a giant cooking pot with a wooden spoon. “Please, everyone give me your attention.”

Louds voices softened and game were paused as the kid spoke to everyone. He revealed a giant black and white poster with brackets written on it, the fresh smell of sharpie piercing through the cloud of body odor. Jean squinted and saw the names on it were gamer tags and not actual names.

“What did you enter me as?” he elbowed Connie.

“No Bromo, one word.” Connie sniggered. Jean let out a deep breath and closed his eyes, mentally counting to ten.

“Of all the things you could’ve picked, why that?”

“It suits you.”

“Like bleach suits Barry.”

“We’ll see about that when SpringChicken takes home the bacon. I better see you in the finals.”

Jean gazed back at the poster and saw that he was on the other side of the brackets from Connie, thankfully. That made his odds of winning just a little bit easier. He returned his attention to the short kid, trying not to stare at the amount of pimples decorating his face. “First up is SpringChicken and YoloSwaggins. Next to them is BrotatoChip and SweetCarolina.”

Connie stepped towards the big TV at the center of the room, joined by a guy in shades and an obnoxious gold chain around his neck. Jean rolled his eyes, not impressed at the guy’s attempt to play the part of his gamer tag.

The sounds of Diddy Kong and Bowser signaled the start of a long fight as Connie began dancing circles around the guy very fast. As much as Jean enjoyed watching Connie make a fun of the embodiment of 4chan, he turned his attention towards the other TV which seemed to be getting no viewers from the crowd. Mina was playing that round and Jean thought he could at least support his RA, but was stunned when he saw her opponent. The person was wearing a white ski mask and had red tinted goggles, surrounded by gold trim. They wore a loose hoodie and baggy jeans, effectively concealing any details about themself. The person was playing Sheik and stomping Mina’s Ness into the ground.

Unlike Connie, BrotatoChip was not messing around and put Mina out of her misery very fast. When the victory screen played, the other crowd seemed to switch their eyes over to the screen to see how the match ended so fast. The news of the masked player spread like fire and soon everyone abandoned Connie’s match, not that he seemed to care. A few minutes later he won his round and whispers of the masked player reached him.

“Okay let’s keep the rounds going…” the short kid pushed.

The next set of people was nothing too special from what Connie kept whispering into Jean’s ears. Despite Connie’s uncanny ability to point out the players’ mistakes, his attention was mostly focused on the masked player who seemed to be analyzing the competition as well.

“Next set of players, NoBromo- nice- and Tacos4Dayz. On the other TV NeverTrustanAtom and MasterQueef.”

Jean barely bat an eyebrow when he saw Marco go to the other television, more interested in relearning a game he had not played in a long time. Thankfully his opponent seemed to be in the same boat, and Jean was a quick learner. Connie made it very clear he was not on his side and kept shouting what he assumed were insults at him. Taco laughed at the commentary but it did not save him from Jean’s Falco.

After his round ended, he noticed that Marco finished his opponent off with Fox. _Great, now I get to fight Freckles and my Wonder Twin._

“Damn it Jean, you almost had it. One more life and you would’ve lost.” Connie patted him on the back.

“Yeah, yeah. And pretty soon Barry will be pink and smelling like flowers.”

“So help me God if you bleach him-”

“Round one is over! Onto the next round. SpringChicken vs BrotatoChip and NoBromo vs NeverTrustanAtom.” The announcer signaled the moment of truth for the roommates.

For the next round the televisions were placed near each other so the crowd could watch both matches at the same time, however this meant Connie would be sitting right next to Jean. As Jean guessed, Connie picked Diddy Kong and Brotato picked Sheik. Jean and Marco picked their characters from the previous fight and both matches began at the same time.

“If I win you better study for your test next week.” Marco quipped, sending Fox right at Falco.

“To hell with that,” Jean spat back, blocking Fox’s attack. “I’m not making two bets in one day.”

“Darn. I wanted Levi not to yell at you for once.”

“Ha! That’ll never happen.”

“Really? Here I thought you just wanted a D.” Marco laughed, right before Jean knocked his character off the screen.

“He can’t even give the D!” Connie taunted from the other television.

“Springer, I will spray you with a garden hose when I beat your ass!” Jean growled.

Connie cackled as Jean heard someone get knocked out on the other screen. He did his best to focus on his fight but it was hard with his roommate heckling him at every turn.

“Choke! Choke like the scrub you are!” Connie shouted to everyone’s amusement.

“Oh choke on my dick!” Jean countered, not noticing his TA’s face growing a little darker.

“You can only choke on small things Johnny boy.”

“Call me that again and I will end your beanie!” Jean threatened, clearly not appreciating his name being mispronounced.

“Not if you run laps in your birthday suit around Stohess.”

“I thought I was fighting you?” Marco interrupted, both confused and bemused by the banter. He punctuated that statement by knocking Jean out. Both were down to one life and it was getting too close to call.

“Oh we are you freckled fairy.” Jean reminded him.

“Excuse me?”

“Fox? You picked the goddamn princess of Starfox. Falco is clearly the better choice and a badass.”

“Ok Kirschtein, your ass is grass and I’m gonna mow it.”

“Please do! Have you see his hairy ass?” Connie chimed in.

“Leave my ass out of this Connie!”

“Everyone will see it when you lose.”

“Brotato, finish him.”

Out of the corner of his eye Jean swore he could see the masked player nod at his request. All of his focus was diverted back to his game as Marco and him traded blow for blow, waiting for the other to screw up. 

“No, no, NO!” Connie shouted, throwing his controller to the ground. The smashing sound caused Marco to jump and look over, giving Jean the opening he needed to finish off Fox.

“Booya, Bodt!” Jean threw his first in the air. Marco rubbed the back of his head before setting the controller down gently, the exact opposite of Connie. Both players looked over at the other TV and saw Sheik doing his victory pose. Jean walked over and stole the beanie right off Connie’s head, bobbing Connie’s man bun in the removal process. “Barry, you better appreciate this.”

“Don’t bleach him!” Connie practically begged.

“Then you’re getting the garden hose.” Jean walked over to the masked player and offered his hand. Brotato turned their and then shook Jean’s hand. “Thank you for saving me from humiliation. And for allowing this hat to get a proper cleaning.”

“Is that why you two were bickering?” Marco asked, suddenly appearing behind Jean. Jean jumped right into Connie, not expecting his TA’s sudden appearance. 

Jean took a moment to regain control of his breathing before answering. “Yes. My mission is now complete. And I’m sorry.”

“For beating me? Nah, its ok. It was a fun fight.”

“Oh I’m not sorry for that. I’m sorry you think Fox is actually a match for Falco.”

“Yup. That’s it.” Marco’s mouth formed a small tight lipped smile.

“What?” Jean questioned, concerned by the change in Marco’s expression. Was he annoyed? Actually angry?

“You’re not passing that test next week.”

“Why…”

“I’m going to grade your test so hard you’ll be begging for the D.”

“You- you mean a D? Right?”

“Did he stutter, Johnny boy?!” Connie shouted in his ear.

Before Jean could strangle Connie with his own beanie, a bottle of water was poured on Connie’s head, effectively shutting him up and ceasing all laughter in the room. Jean, stunned like the rest of the people, remained still while Connie’s mouth was gaping open and closed like a fish out of water despite the fact he was covered in it. BrotatoChip gave Jean a thumbs up before turning around and getting ready for more Smash Brothers.

“Not a garden hose, but it’s a start.” Jean smiled. Much to his surprise, Connie did not have a quip. Could not or too shocked to, Jean did not know but he knew when to count his victories. Beating Connie at Smash and leaving him speechless are rare things with him, but miracles do happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for reading and I hope people enjoy where this is going, ever so slowly. 
> 
> All feedback is appreciated and helps me grow as a writer!


	7. Flour Power

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the semester starts to take its toll on everyone. And Reiner and Eren narrowly avoid death.

Multiple choice questions usually meant there was a small, if improbable, chance of guessing the right answer. Short answer had a better chance of being able to pull an answer of out the air as long as it tied back to the main principles of the chapter. Extended response? 

_Fuck that shit._ Jean mentally groaned.

His focus sharpened for the first few words of the prompt before dulling on the next sentence. Only truly evil professors made extended response questions count for so many points, but Levi fell into his own special circle of hell for including only one extended response that was worth half the test. Jean’s disdain only rose when he managed to read the entire prompt without his eyes glazing, understanding that it was over a vague section from the start of the semester.

Time swirled around him as he pieced together a halfhearted response at best. Words were vomited into the paper, arranged into structures that could vaguely be called sentences. Once that tactic had run out Jean let his hand absently start droodling on the paper in hopes of not causing a premature stroke due to stress.

“Pencils down,” Levi announced. Sounds of pencils hitting desks followed quickly, startling the dozing TA awake. Marco was already going to the first table when Levi called to him. “Bodt, the tests please.”

Jean glanced back to his paper and flinched when he saw his drawing. A tiny Levi surrounded in flames, complete with his own little set of horns. Little Levi was waving his cane in the air at a nonexistent student. Jean quickly added a halo when a shadow darkened his paper. He slowly peered upwards to find soft brown doe eyes waiting expectantly. “Test, please.”

He reluctantly handed his paper over to Marco, almost missing his TA’s warm smile.

“There’s no online homework this weekend,” Professor Ackerman began, interrupted by small cheers. “…However we begin our new chapter immediately Monday so I _highly recommend_ familiarizing yourselves with the next chapter. Class dismissed.”

Quickly placing his dark green beanie back on his head, Jean stretched his arms and walked to the exit, looking for familiar long blond hair. Outside the classroom he found Armin quietly reading the textbook, not noticing the students exiting around him. Jean snuck around him, heavily entranced by the words on the page, and peaked over his shoulder stealthily. Not only was Armin reading the anatomy book, he was several chapters ahead of what the professor recommended. 

Classic Armin.

“A bit early for the Endocrine System, isn’t it?” Jean scared Armin, the blond slamming his book shut.

“Oh yeah. I’ll read about the Muscular System today.” Armin nervously smiled. Jean shrugged his reaction off and they walked towards the Monolith that was the library.

“How’d the test go for you?” Jean rhetorically asked. If peacefully reading in the hall for half the class did not give it away, Armin’s lackadaisical demeanor was another big clue.

“Not too bad. The essay was fascinating!”

“Don’t remind me,” Jean grumbled. Armin brought his hand over his mouth to suppress his quiet chuckle. “Why did Dr. Ackerman see you in the hallway?”

“Same as last time. He just gave me a date for the speaker. Whoever this speaker is, they’re receiving a big crowd for their contributions in the field of Stem cell research. It hasn’t been revealed yet but Levi said something about the next step in organ development.”

“Sounds cool. I might check it out.” Jean rubbed his chin, genuinely interested. Armin shot him a cold look and sighed.

“Your dad?”

“My dad.”

“You’re so lucky you can see this stuff whenever you want. I wish I could just go and do that.”

Jean pretended to ignore the jealousy coming from Armin’s direction since this was not a conversation he wished to have with his roommate. The words died at the double doors to the black building, and remained interred when Jean pressed the call button for the elevator. Armin’s cheerful disposition was weighted down by an unseen burden, tugging his lips into a frown.

“You want the desk today?” Jean offered as consolation. Armin’s dull blue eyes lit back up and he nodded. “Only a few hours until Mario Kart.”

Armin smiled at the thought. “It’s been a stressful week. I think we all could relax.”

Jean hummed in agreement, dropping his backpack behind their shared desk while Armin dug into his drawer for his reading glasses. A quick inspection of the book cart revealed a new set of books on disease, which Jean promptly dropped in front of coworker. Armin dove into the stack and pulled out one of interest, pushing the pile back to Jean.

Despite having an immense hatred for the stacks due to the last time he was in them, Jean began the tedious task of reshelving the books and trying to locate their annoyingly strange locations. He only got a few books in before rage drove the cart into his favorite shelf, the one just out of place enough so the cart would consistently hit it. Throwing his hands in the air, he marched off into the stacks until he found a nice little cove surrounded by books. Miraculously he found that his phone had signal.

**Me**   
_Hey_

**Mi Kasa**   
_Sup_

**Me**  
Bored at work. I really hate these shelves

**Mi Kasa**   
_Did u try setting them on fire?_

Jean laughed at that.

**Me**   
_Then I have no work_

**Mi Kasa**   
_Then its no longer a problem_

**Me**   
_True_

_We still good for dinner tomorrow?_

**Mi Kasa**   
_Yeah. Don’t forget me_

His frown returned after that response. While true he did not like bringing that memory back up. Mikasa refused to let him forget all the dates he ditched, not that he did not need reminding.

**Me**   
_I said I was sorry. You coming over tonight?_

**Mi Kasa**   
_No. Annie needs my help for a new video_

He let out a long sigh.

**Me**   
_Ok, I’ll see you tomorrow. Gotta get more books up._

He did not bother waiting for a reply before going to find his abandoned cart. At least there were two less mouths to take the drinks that night.

Finding the cart took a little more time than Jean cared to admit and once he found the thing, he cursed when he saw there were somehow more books on it. He glanced to see a new pile in the spot he knew he had just cleared, all of them related to biology and diseases. After hitting the damn shelf one more time, he took off and did his best to replace more of the books. With his focus trained on finding shelves, he collapsed into the cart when he crashed into something in the middle of the aisle.

“You okay there, Jean?” A deep voice asked. Jean glanced up at the unexpected person, yet he was not surprised when Dr. Zacharius stood there with a look of concern on his face. Jean dusted himself off and offered a small scowl to the man.

“I’m alright, sir. I wasn’t expecting someone to actually be in here.” Jean admitted, noticing a spot with a missing book. He dove into his cart looking for the missing offender.

“Yeah we needed some new reading material so I came to find something of interest. You wouldn’t happen to have anything on the Crusades in there, by chance?”

“Sorry, mostly biology today. And-” Jean pulled out the book he was looking for and glanced at the spine. “Abraham Lincoln: President and Vampire Hunter. Well that’s new.”

“Historical fiction?”

“Apparently non-fiction.”

“Pass that over here.” Dr. Zacharius flipped the book over and read the little summary on the back. “Sounds entertaining. Mind if I take it off your hands?”

“Be my guest.”

The tall man ran his fingers over his mustache and into his stubbly beard, a giant grin on his face. At least someone found that piece of literature entertaining. He walked further into the stacks towards the study room that he managed to acquire every Thursday and Friday, much to the bane of all the students.

Returning the books was a long process but Jean prevailed and left the cart by Armin before retreating to the restroom. Allowing some free time to himself he got lost on his phone while on the toilet, appreciating the wonders of social media and free time. Rather than fall asleep, he got up, washed his hands, and retuned back to the desk, only to find the cart full of books yet again. He groaned as Armin laughed, not removing his eyes from his book. Taking the cart back into the stacks, Jean prepared for another long shelf time. He was caught off guard when he found an entire shelf cleared of books, all in his cart.

“Who the fuck?” he wondered. He looked back at the books and realized they were all biology journals, again. Grabbing a stack of them, he marched off to a corner of the library where he suspected the source of his pain was working. Sure enough, he found someone passed out in a book on a table, crème colored scarf wrapped neatly around his neck.

Having absolutely no regard for common courtesy, Jean dropped the stack next to his TA’s head, waking Marco from his nap with a jump. “I’M AWAKE AND I’M ALIVE!”

“Sure you are.” Jean scowled, quirking an eyebrow.

Marco rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he took in his surroundings as if processing what happened. “Kirschtein? What’s going on?”

“You making my job a living hell, that’s what.” Jean glared, hitting the books for emphasis.

Marco looked at Jean, then to the books, then to his watch, and then back to Jean. “Is it closing time?”

“No, smart ass,” Jean rolled his eyes. “You keep putting shit on my cart. An entire shelf, really? No one reads that fast.”

“What are you talking about?

“This.” He hit the stack again. Marco looked over at the books and pulled a few out, still retaining his puzzled look.

“These aren’t mine.” He mumbled, to himself mostly.

“Come again?”

“I said I didn’t get these.” Marco answered, his voice a mixture of annoyance and confusion. Embarrassment crawled from Jean’s chest, through his neck, and stopped at his cheeks, painting them a light shade of red. He rubbed the side of his temples, trying to hide his face from his TA.

“Shit, I’m sorry for waking you,” Jean apologized. He tried to think of who would have taken the books but he was more worried about the fact he just woke his TA in one of the most obnoxious way possible. Book dropping was reserved for brats, people sleeping in study rooms, and Eren Jaeger. His TA fell into none of these categories, and to make matters worse Jean could see a pile of papers he recognized as the test he had just taken that morning.

Nothing like pissing off the person grading his test to garuntee an automatic failure.

Marco followed Jean’s gaze to the papers and that only seemed to pull the tips of his mouth closer to the ground. He pulled the stack closer to him and quickly flipped through it, pulling out a single test. Jean gulped when he recognized his handwriting, but was slightly relieved when he saw it was graded. At least he did not have to worry about too much bias this round of grading. Marco scooted the paper towards him and he quickly learned that grading bias was the least of his worries. “What happened?”

**F**

Jean collapsed in the nearest chair as he quickly glanced through the test. The multiple choice section seemed alright and the short answer was not perfect but boy did the extended response kick his ass. He lost more than 30% to that alone, and to top it off there was his Little Levi staring at him with his little beady black eyes. That was going to be a fun conversation next week.

He pushed the paper back to Marco, not paying attention to the little comment next to his drawing. Jean stared intently at the table, unable to look at his TA and anguishing on the inside.

_What the hell?! I studied, I went to class, and I fucking read the chapter twice! How is that not good enough? One question. One question fucked me over. Damn it Ackerman, intentionally fucking me up._

“Don’t blame Levi.” Marco spoke up, catching Jean off guard.

“Did I say that outloud?” He wondered.

“No, but I can see it in your face.” Marco face remained unsympathetic. “Blaming him won’t change the result of the test. You’re the one who took it.”

“But he’s the one who made it! I studied for it and I read the chapters. Hell, I actually paid attention in class!”

“And you responded to a question with a doodle of the professor with devil horns. Just like you draw every class.”

“How did you- not every class!”

“Every class,” Marco remained stern, starting to unnerve Jean. “Maybe if you got tutoring _like I suggested_ last time you could do better.”

“I don’t need tutoring, I’m not like Jaeger.” 

“Yeah, you are.” Marco held up another test with a giant F written on it.

“Levi is going to skin him alive.”

“Probably. He even drew a little person just like you.” Marco pointed to a small girl in the extended response, having the same dead eyes as Levi but lacking the dark hair Jean expected from stick doodles.

“Doesn’t like Annie my ass.” Jean commented. His TA gave a brief look of confusion before setting the paper back on the stack.

“You both need help.” Marco insisted, much to Jean’s chagrin. He wrote something on a piece of paper and handed it over to Jean. “That’s my free time on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Normally I’m here or in my room. I _expect_ you to come for help before the next practical, unless you don’t want to pass this class.”

“But-”

“No buts, no cuts, no coconuts. Come before the next time so I can help you.”

“The fuck?” Jean squinted at Marco, noticing the small grin beginning to form on his TA’s face.

“And I won’t tell your friends if it means that much to you.” He winked.

“That’s not- I’m not- ugh _fine_.” Jean reluctantly agreed.

“I believe you’ve some books to return. I think I’ll keep this one though.” Marco reminded, taking the journal from atop the stack. Jean groaned, readjusting his beanie before grabbing the books and returning into the depths of the library, still unsure of who was putting the books on the cart. When he found his cart he returned to the duty at hand, not noticing the smirk on his coworker’s face as he passed by the desk.

___

“Oh, come on, I was in first like the whole friggin’ race,” Connie yelled at the television, glaring intently at the blue shell currently exploding his car. “Cheating game.”

Jean and Reiner suppressed their laughter as they watched on the couch, while Eren threw his fist in the air as he claimed first. Taking a swig of his beer, Eren rested his back on the futon and glanced at Reiner. They fistbumped as Connie finished the race, almost in last place.

“Mariokart is more luck than skill.” Armin pointed out from the kitchenette. He walked back with a plate of spaghetti, grabbing a can of Reiner’s cheap beer as he walked by the open box.

“I got skills that kills in Smash.” Connie groaned, placing the controller by the old Nintendo 64.

Laughter finally escaped from Jean’s throat, earning the stink eye from Connie. “Really? Is that why you lost the tournament?”

“Shut up. It‘s not like you won either.”

“Yeah I did. I got Barry.”

“I meant the tournament. And I want him back!” Connie gestured to his man bun.

“Once he is properly cleaned. I don’t know what the hell you did but two rounds in the washer didn’t work. Maybe I’ll actually have to use bleach.”

“YOU WOU-“ Connie was cut off by Reiner hitting him on the head.

A can of Reiner’s favorite beer was shoved under Connie’s nose. Reiner furrowed his brow to get his point across. “Shut up and take the beer.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t bleach him,” Jean attempted to alleviate his best friend’s fears. Connie relaxed a little more under the beer’s effect. “Unless you give me reason to.” Jean added an additional disclaimer.

Ignoring Connie’s look of fear, Jean joined the game and was ready for a new race. After a few minutes the expletives were flying again and all was right in the world.

\---

Clothes were never a problem- they should never be a problem for Jean Kirschtein. He had a wardrobe bigger than his current tiny closet could fit and somehow he still could not figure out what to wear, and time was running out.

_Too casual. Too formal. Too bright. Too girly._ He grumbled as he threw a lilac button down shirt onto his bed, not asking how that even got into his closet. Probably a Christmas present he forgot to return.

He almost jumped out of his skin when someone pounded on the door. “Hurry up, Romeo!”

“Hold your horses, Connie!” he shouted back, diving into his clean hamper. He shuffled through his hamper as Connie slowly opened his door.

“Are you naked?” Connie wondered, stepping into the room without waiting for an answer. 

“Nothing you haven’t seen already.” Jean grumbled as he pulled some shirts and threw them into front of his bare pale chest.

Connie moved his arm in front of his eyes, dramatically flailing the other. “Oh, its too bright.”

A pair of jeans nailed Connie’s face, knocking him out of the room for a few seconds. He recovered fast and threw the pants with the other discarded shirts. Jean dug further into his basket and froze when he found something that did not feel right. He slowly pulled out a pair of panties, reeling as he threw it at Connie. “The hell?!”

“Ew, don’t throw your underwear on me!” Connie dodged as the unmentionables flew harmlessly into the dorm.

Not even dignifying Connie with a comment, Jean pulled out a red and black plaid shirt and decided it was good enough. He dug into his hamper and removed a familiar red and white stripped beanie.

“Barry!” Connie threw his hands up, but Jean shook his head.

“Mine for tonight. Jaeger still has mine.” Jean informed. Connie crossed his arms but it was the end of the argument.

Luck was on his side that Connie’s station wagon would need a refill soon, meaning Jean could coerce Connie for a ride to his dinner date. He was nervous but also stoked for his first date in what seemed like forever. Mikasa hounded him all semester for a replacement date for his last fuck up and with his first big test behind him he now had a chance.

Colleges were always inundated with a variety of fast food chains and local competitors, but Jean always ate home-cooked meals and his taste in fast food was described as atrocious. For all the hell Connie gave him, one of the reasons Jean put up with him was his taste in food. If there was a place with good food and not too pricey, odds are Connie had sniffed it out and been there twice. It was one his unique skills that he prided himself in, next to his Smash Brother’s ability.

After circling Trost Street three times, Connie managed to find the hole-in-the-wall Chinese restaurant he raved about nonstop for three weeks about to Jean. As if to confirm his finding, in front of the building stood a proud figure with a red scarf waving in the wind, clearly tied around the person.

“Good luck, don’t stay out too late, and use protection!” Connie offered his sagely advice.

“Yes, father.” Jean rolled his eyes.

“I’m going to be practicing with the others tonight. You know the way back?”

“Over the hill and through the woods,” Jean answered, sarcasm heavy in his response. “And then I follow the yellow brick road.”

“The woods are like the opposite side of campus. Don’t go there though.”

Jean waved him off and slammed the car door shut behind him. He tried to strut coolly over to his girlfriend, but lost his footing and jumped straight into the air when the car horn went off behind him. His natural scowl returned in full force as he turned to face Connie, but he drove off. A beep in his pocket let him know why.

**Conartist**   
_dont slam Shellys door romeo_

Regaining what was left of his composure he joined Mikasa by the door, noting her usual frown was now the tiniest of smirks. A light shove in her direction earned a punch to his shoulder as they entered the building. They were quickly seated in a corner booth for two, both overlooking the knowing look the tiny Asian man gave them. Drinks and food were quickly ordered, leaving a small silence over the table while Jean admired his girlfriend.

Mikasa wore a simple white tank top below her opened black leather jacket. A crimson red scarf, not unlike Eren’s, wrapped around her neck and settled in the crevice of her open jacket. Her hair, oh God her hair, was let down and rested on her shoulders. Her beady black irises exuded the warmth of charcoal after a fire, settling and calming down. Jean wanted to curl up next to that warmth for the evening but he still had a meal to get through.

“How’s your week been?” Jean opened with a safe question. Mikasa shrugged as two waters were brought to the table.

“I’ve had worse. Gym classes are easy.”

“Better than my week. Stupid anatomy class ate all my time and I still failed the damn test.” Mikasa raised her eyebrow, worry flashing behind her eyes and cooling her gaze.

“Levi failed you? Everyone else must be in trouble.”

“Not Levi but boy is he going to rip me a new one. Eren also failed, not sure about Connie or Armin but we both know blondie is fine.”

“Damn it, Eren.” Mikasa mumbled into her scarf. “Levi’s going to kill him.”

“I always thought his stupidity would end him.” Jean joked, but it fell flat on the table next to his soup. Mikasa’s frown twitched and Jean recognized that as a bad sign.

“He’s calmed down since high school. Not unlike you, from what Annie said.”

“The fraternity fight?” Jean inquired, Mikasa’s nod providing the clarification he needed. “Some guy was getting bullied and I jumped in to help. I’m surprised Eren didn’t jump in too. Should’ve yelled at him for that too.”

“Don’t drag Eren into your fights,” Mikasa warned, planting a seed of doubt in Jean’s chest. “He’s in enough trouble without fighting.”

Jean let a sigh out. “Scholarship?”

“No. Levi.”

Shaking his head, Jean started eating his soup and was pleasantly surprised by the quality. At least Connie was right about one thing today. His girlfriend started her appetizer as well just as the food was delivered. They ate in blissful silence for a time, enjoying the overabundance of food. Asian restaurants notoriously gave out big portions and it made sense that this place fell into that stereotype; probably another reason Connie loved the place. Thankfully Mikasa seemed to as well since she was inhaling her food at a pace Jean knew she reserved for home cooking and Armin’s chocolate chip cookies.

While he waited for Mikasa to finish her food, Jean glanced around the Chinese restaurant and took in the cheesy, if not comical, decorations. Little Buddha statues scattered around various corners of the store, a Connie-sized waterfall by the bar in the back, and flowers littered the tables- all accompanied by lovely but faint tune that could best be described as guitar strings being plucked. It was an overall pleasant ambience that put Jean as rest. He found his hand playing with the Hydrangea at his table.

“How was the video with Annie?” he asked as Mikasa finished swallowing her last bite.

She shrugged her shoulders again and sipped her water. “Went over pretty well. It was just an instructional video.”

“Yeah, right,” Jean scoffed. “You two never just do that. Who won the fight?” A tiny smile graced her face and Jean had his answer. “How many rounds did she last?”

“One.”

“That’s my girl.” Jean smiled, leaving the wilting plant alone.

He reached across the table and gently pressed his hand on top of Mikasa’s. She flipped her hand over and wrapped her hand around Jean’s. They laughed quietly and enjoyed their moment until the annoying bell rang across the restaurant. Jean glanced over his girlfriend’s shoulder and saw two girls enter, recognizing them faster than he cared to admit.

“Seriously? Every day?” the tall freckled girl _cackled_.

“It’s not that funny! My stuff is starting to reek!” the shorter brunette complained.

Mikasa turned her head to stare at the commotion. The two girls looked over at the corner and dropped their conversation, both grinning at the people in the corner and walking over to them. Sasha greeted Jean with a tight hug. “Jean!”

“Su casa!” Ymir brought her hand down on Mikasa’s shoulder, echoing through the tiny restaurant. Jean flinched but Mikasa was unfazed.

The two in a relationship exchanged looks before speaking simultaneously. “You know her?”

“Yes.” They answered together, causing the other two girls to laugh.

“How do you know frat boy over here?” Ymir grinned.

“How do you know the freckled-“ Jean glared at Ymir.

“Annie.” Mikasa answered quickly. “And this is my _boyfriend_.”

Ymir ceased her laughter and squinted at Mikasa. She opened her mouth but no words came out, instead reaching for the Hydrangea and poking at its dying petals. Jean picked up the conversation. “So she knows Annie too?”

“Yeah, she’s my little.” Ymir replied matter-of-factly, still finagling with the plant.

“Annie went Greek? And _you’re_ Greek?”

“Yes, why so shocked? Just because I hate frat boys doesn’t mean I don’t like sororities.”

Learning this information put Jean in a foul mood, demonstrated by him slumping into his seat. He let his questions die as Mikasa and Ymir went through some curt exchanges. Sasha stole Jean’s water and began gulping it.

“What brings you guys out here?” Jean asked the girl by him.

“Smoked out. Again.” Sasha groaned, landing in the seat by Jean. When the waiter rolled by with a check, he gave a confused look at the new people. Jean took the receipt and gave his card back, waving the confused man off.

“You should just call the cops or something. Maybe get a new roommate.” Jean suggested, not noticing the glare from across the table from his girlfriend. When he caught the icy stare of Mikasa he quickly straightened in his seat. “Mikasa this is Sasha. She’s an activist and this is like my second time seeing her.”

“Third.” She corrected, finishing of the drink. “Ymir I’m hungry. Let’s leave the lovebirds alone.”

“Yeah, let’s.” Ymir’s grin faded fast as they excused themselves. While puzzled by the brief interaction, Jean shoved it to the back of his mind when the receipt came and they left.

\---

Reminders of summer’s end and autumn’s beginning fluttered around the couple, leaves dancing in the wind and off the trees, as they made the journey back to Stohess hall. Their arms looped around each other and held each other close as they made small talk about the evening and their semester so far. The chill in the air seemed to pass them as they moved together through the night. Mikasa’s warmth kept Jean content, but the conversation remained cool the closer they got to his dorm.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to walk you home?” he questioned, silently hoping for a no.

“After last time? No thanks. Besides, I’d like to see how Eren is doing.” Mikasa rejected, in the most bittersweet answer Jean could have expected. She tugged her red scarf closer to her mouth, much like Eren always did, and it sent chills down his spine.

_They’re siblings. It’s normal._ Jean reminded himself, a heavy breath manifesting as a cloud in front of him.

Mikasa paid no attention to Jean’s reaction, instead leaning her head on his shoulder. Normally a comforting gesture, Jean tensed a little bit. He had dated Mikasa long enough to know that any signs of affection beyond hugging and hand holding meant something was weighting on her mind. “What’s wrong?”

“I shouldn’t be telling you this,” she began, raising red flags right away. “But you’ll learn soon enough and I don’t like secrets.”

“Okay.” Jean replied, completely unsure where this was going.

“So you know how the anniversary is coming?”

“Ours? That’s in like a month.”

“No, the _other one_.”

“Oh,” Jean picked up what she was saying, his eyes falling to the ground right away. “Yeah, that’s coming up too.”

“Well, Levi and your dad are hosting a banquet at your house for it.” Mikasa informed, halting Jean in his steps.

“You’re joking,” he stared at Mikasa. Whatever warmth was left in her eyes turned stone cold and Jean realized she was completely serious. “I didn’t think they’d ever be in the same room willingly again.”

“This is an exception. They’re going to present something big, I don’t know what, but they are going to get as many people there as they can. Levi told me and I figured you should know.”

“Do Eren or Armin know about this?” Jean questioned, still astonished by the information.

“Eren has a big mouth and whatever it is they don’t want Armin knowing. They’ll be there though.”

“Well that’s going to be… fun.”

Mikasa nodded and pulled Jean towards his dorm. She tucked her scarf in and he pulled Barry, the weed smelling beanie, further over his ears. The ancient dorm towered overhead and looked imposing with the dark clouds behind it. The light in his dorm room was on and someone was peering out the window, but he disappeared quickly when Jean made eye contact.

\---

Dating a martial artist had plenty of benefits and drawbacks, one of the latter being that Jean had to go up all flights of stairs. Even though it was only five floors to his dorm, he just wanted to use the elevator. A quick cold glance from Mikasa ended the argument before it started and they arrived at the top of the building in good time, albeit a little tired. Mikasa lead the way to Jean’s dorm and went for the handle. She looked back and he smiled.

“Ladies first.”

Mikasa shrugged and turned the door handle and pulled the door back. Jean walked behind her, but was caught off guard when she suddenly ducked. He had no time for response as a wave of water splashed him in the face, soaking him and the beanie.

“Got y-!” A booming voice announced but was cut short by a punch to the gut. Reiner fell on his knees as Mikasa withdrew her fist. She tossed Reiner on his side and then dove down once more.

Jean had just cleared he water out of his eyes when a cloud of white blanketed him, leaving him coughing and pissed. “What the actual FUCK?!”

“You’ve been pranked!” Eren laughed at him, clapping the flour from his hands. Once the dust settled, Eren was surprised to see Mikasa rising from the bodies on the floor. Jean cleared his vision as best he could, and he saw Mikasa pinning his green eyed roommate to the wall. He grit his teeth and stepped forward, ready to attack.

“I’m gonna choke a bitch.” Jean declared, but stepped in a pool of water, slipped, landing on Reiner’s back.

“Keep it down, guys,” Connie grumbled as he came out of Mina’s room, joint in hand. He stood for a second trying to figure out what happened, but froze when he saw his precious beanie covered in flour. “Barry!”

“Thanks,” Jean grumbled as he used Reiner’s shirt to wipe his face clean. His hulk-like friend complained but could not do much from being pinned the combined forces of gravity and Jean’s weight. He then stood up and promptly fell on Reiner with his elbow. “And then there’s this asshole!”

“Uncle, uncle!” Reiner surrendered.

“What happened here?” A gentle voice wondered from the doorway. The people in the room glanced at Armin, standing confused in the doorway in his bacon apron, wooden spoon in hand. For once he was dressed in normal clothes below the apron. Once he connected the dots in his head, Armin’s face grew a bit red and he cast a cold glare at Eren. “Did you use my flour for this?”

“Yes?” he responded, unsure of the positive answer.

“Which bag did you use?”

“The red and white one…”

Armin stomped into the dorm, walking over Reiner and bumping into Jean and smacked Eren in the head repeatedly with the wooden spoon. “How many times have I said never touch my ingredients without asking? Especially my gluten free flour. It’s expensive!”

“I’m- ow! I’m-I’m- Quit hitting me! I’m sorry, I didn’t know.” Armin hit him one more time for good measure, and Eren remained stuck against the wall since Mikasa did not let him go.

“Talk time.” Mikasa declared, dragging Eren by his ear towards his room with Armin on his tail. He was still glaring, not happy at all.

The room was momentarily quiet, until Connie felt the need to continue mourning. “Barry. You deserved so much better than this.”

“It’ll wash out. Eventually.” A quiet voice made itself known. Bertholdt walked out of the corner with a rather nice camera, perfectly capturing Jean’s glare.

“You did this!” Jean jumped towards the camera, but Reiner sudden half Nelson kept him at bay.

“Down flour boy.” Reiner ordered, just as Bertl clicked the shutter button and put the camera down.

A towel was offered as an olive branch by the gentle giant and Jean took it begrudgingly. He dusted himself off as best he could before retreating to his dorm, absolutely livid at the prank that happened. He quickly dumped his flour crusted shirt in his trashcan and salvaged what he could of his wardrobe. Grabbing a towel, he started prepping his toiletries when a knock interrupted his grumbling. He slung the towel over his shoulder and stomped to the door, swinging it open.

“What do you want?” he growled, before freezing and finding Mikasa’s less than impressed stare facing him. She pulled Eren into view, still rubbing the spot where Armin hit him repeatedly.

Eren glanced at Jean’s chest before jumping his eyes back to his roommate’s gaze. “I- uh- wanted to apologize for…”

“Being a complete and utter dick?”

“For throwing flour at your face.” Eren’s face reddened as he rubbed the back of his head.

Jean pushed him aside and marched over to bathroom, ignoring the two giants cleaning the mess in their dorm, and bumping Armin as he passed him. Slamming the door behind him, the shower squeaked on and he disrobed what was left of his clothing. Realization crashed on his shoulders and dropped him to the bathroom floor once he recalled Mikasa being right next to Eren.

That was not going to be a pleasant conversation when this was all said and done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So i'm going to swtich to a biweekly update so I can make the chapters a little bit longer but also so i have more time to edit and organize my thoughts. These last few were put out without much regard for my free time so I'm going slow down a little so I can recover some time as well as improve what I'm writing. Thanks for understanding.
> 
> Also thank you guys for reading this far, you all are great! All feedback is appreciated and feel free to send me a message on tumblr (I have the same name)!


	8. Like a French Girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Levi intimidates everyone into learning, and a night of gaming becomes a wild ride of drinking, Youtube, weed, and cops. Please Drink Responsibly, and not like Reiner.

For fear of his own safety Eren disappeared that weekend from the dorm, although Jean did not know if it was Mikasa who suggested this or Eren’s terrible sense of self-preservation. He even refused to show up at the fraternity on Sunday, though Reiner swore he could see Eren from the balcony of the house. Reiner also kept apologizing to Jean about the prank but he only grunted in response to all the pleas for forgiveness. Jean’s anger faded after the weekend, but he was still not happy about the prospect of cleaning what _was_ his favorite flannel shirt, and the rest of his wardrobe. Connie even tasked him with ‘saving Barry’s life’.

Despite not being involved with the prank in any way, Armin took it upon himself to clean up the mess that Reiner, Bertholdt, and Eren caused. He spent the rest of Friday evening with a bucket of water washing the tile and some of the flour that made it onto the cheap carpet, determined to keep his deposit in the dorm. Low curses could be heard over the scrubbing but Jean thought he was mishearing things. It was also one of the few times Jean could recall the kid wrinkling his face in anger for an extended period of time, but he had a feeling it had to do with the expensive flour Eren used. He already promised Armin that he’d buy him a new bag to make up for the wasted money.

The first time Jean saw Eren was in Anatomy class on Tuesday, already in the room before anyone. He was hiding in his red scarf and below Jean’s forest green beanie. As his roommates walked in, Jean pulled his beanie off Eren’s head and placed it on his own. Eren glared for all of two seconds when he realized who took it. Jean glowered at him before Armin and Connie inserted themselves between the two.

Both Marco and Levi entered with the rest of the class, worry abundantly clear on Marco’s face, however Levi appeared as stoic as ever. The tests were neatly stacked on old wooden desk and Levi set up his ancient laptop. He limped over to Marco, putting some more weight on his cane, before glancing over at Jean and company. Marco shook his head and pulled out a notebook and started scratching information down.

After the remaining students filtered into the room, none dare taking a spot in the back, Levi’s stoic face darkened. “First off, Kirschtein?”

Jean’s face paled before he realized why he was addressed. He pulled off his beanie and flattened his hair, pretending he did not need a haircut. Marco chuckled and Jean stuck his tongue out at him.

“Thank you. I’ll keep my coverage of the test brief. The class average was an F,” Levi informed the students, ignoring the countless groans in response. “And I’m sure many of you know that I don’t curve in this class.”

“How does anyone pass in here?” Someone from the back asked.

“Normally the lab grades balance out the tests but it seems I overestimated you guys. Only five students scored above an F, and to those five congratulations. As for the rest of you, there will be a make-up quiz next Thursday that will add some points back to your score to help you pass. This is of course optional, but I doubt many of you wish to fail.”

Levi paused and let the information sink in. Once a few hushed conversations were starting to take place he began class. Marco passed out the tests back during the lecture. Jean took notes as diligently as he could before his pencil started doodling. Muscles were only so fascinating, but he was brought out of his stupor when a giant F landed on his notes. He jumped in his seat and glanced at Marco, sweating a little nervously under his TA’s less than impressed frown.

Sneaking a few looks to his left, he caught Armin’s smile and Connie’s slight grin, but Eren visibly paled after he glanced at his test. Maybe he was more like Jaeger than he cared to admit. His thought was cut short when Levi walked up to his desk, still talking about the Muscular system to the class. Levi slipped a piece of paper onto Jean’s notes before limping back to his laptop.

**Kirschtein, Jaeger, Springer, and Arlert stay after class.**

Suddenly his wish for class to end switched from a countdown towards freedom to a countdown towards doomsday. He passed the note to the others and watched as they all grimaced when they read it. If there were moments Jean learned to absolutely hate, it was extra time with his grumpy ass professor.

All too soon class ended. He packed his stuff but remained in his seat, while his roommates did the same. As Levi dealt with the stragglers, they waited impatiently and squirmed in their seats. Armin was the only one who was semi-relaxed.

“How did you guys do?” he asked quickly.

“Failed.” Jean rolled his eyes.

“That makes two of us.” Eren admitted.

“D is for diploma.” Connie smiled.

“Not in this class, Springer,” Levi interrupted everyone, startling them out of their conversation. “You missed an F by one point, I wouldn’t be celebrating. Arlert, on the other hand, can.”

“A?” Eren guessed. Armin nodded weakly.

“That brings me to why I asked you four to remain behind,” Levi began, Marco coming to stand by him. “You all are smart students and should be doing better. I’m requesting you get tutoring before the quiz so you can raise your grades to where they should be.”

“Requesting?” Eren echoed.

“As your professor, that is all you can do. As your guardian, I’m telling you to get tutoring, _Eren_ ,” Levi glared. Eren swallowed, not used to hearing his first name from Levi. “Arlert, since you’re doing the best in this class, please help him. Springer, I’d recommend doing the same and getting a tutor.”

“I thought D-” Connie started before a cane hitting the ground cut him off.

“A D isn’t good enough to get through this major. And you Kirschtein,” his professor turned all of frightening focus on Jean. His mouth dried and Jean knew he was shaking. “I _know_ your father doesn’t want to see that test, or think his precious son isn’t passing Anatomy and Physiology with flying colors. Combined with your last Practical, I think you should find a capable tutor as well.”

Jean was incapable of responding to Levi’s seething remark. Sarcasm laced most of the words spoken to him, as if daring Jean to keep struggling and let his pride guide him to a mediocre grade, or worse. He kept his eyes down, although he could feel the pity coming from his roommates. “He already has several tutoring sessions set up with me, sir.”

Marco’s defense brought Jean’s face from the table and straight towards his TA. Levi quirked an eyebrow at his TA, as did Jean. He knew that Marco gave him some times, but they never actually scheduled anything, not that he was going to deny that right at this moment. “Is that so?”

“Yes, sir. In fact, we have one this afternoon.”

“Well then, congratulations on being proactive, Kirschtein,” Professor Ackerman seemed unconvinced, not that Jean cared. If that would get the cantankerous cripple off his back, he would go to tutoring that instant. “I expect you to do the same, Jaeger.”

“Yes, dad,” Eren’s eyes fell and stared at the floor, more sad than angry. His voice waivered and Levi let out a held breath. Levi’s features softened a little before he turned and walked away, his cane echoing in rhythm with his heavy steps.

The five remained silent for a little while until a loud rumble startled them. Connie clutched his stomach and rubbed it affectionately. “It’s okay, Sam. Food will arrive soon enough.”

“You named your belly too?” Jean deadpanned, reverting back to his normal self immediately.

“No, I named my stomach. If it was belly he’d be Beelzebub.”

“The demon?” Marco questioned, catching the others by surprise.

“Fitting.” Armin snickered.

“Really?”

“You should see how much of my food he eats.”

“Okay, dorks, I’m going to the cafeteria. If you don’t see me in the room you know where to find me.” Connie informed them, before walking away by himself.

“I’ve got an appointment with Mikasa at the gym. You coming along, Jean?” Eren wondered, his voice unsure. He knew that Jean had not talked to Mikasa since the prank and he was not sure if he was treading in unsafe waters.

“I got a tutoring session, so I can’t. I’ll see her at Mariokart on Thursday,” Jean rubbed the back of his neck. “Is she, well… is she angry at me?”

“Not that I know. She wasn’t happy that we didn’t talk but she knows that you needed time to cool off. Are we cool?”

“If you can get the flour out of my shirt and Connie’s beanie, then yes.” Jean stated his demands, which Eren nodded along to.

“I can do that. I’ll tell Mikasa we’re good.”

“Thanks. Now go run your ass off. It’s not like you do anything else there.” Jean teased one final time. Armin smiled at the taunt, glad some semblance of peace had been reached. He waved goodbye and walked with Eren out of the room, leaving Jean and his freckled TA alone. With the coast clear, Jean switched gears and decided to interrogate Marco. “Why?”

“Why what?” Marco repeated, slightly confused.

“Why help me?”

“Oh, I already hounded you about this. No need for Levi to beat a dead horse.”

“Well, thanks.” Jean offered a tiny smile to his hero, right before his stomach let out a rumble.

“Sounds like you and Conrad are both thinking with your stomachs,” Marco laughed, retrieving his messenger bag from the front of the room. The leather bag rested on his shoulder and Jean placed his backpack where it belonged. They left the building and began walking towards Trost Street, the campus’ road of restaurants and glorious food.

“At least I don’t name my stomach or belly or whatever,” Jean defended himself, slightly affronted to be roped into the same category as Connie. “And you know you can call him Connie, right?”

“Until he tells me that himself he’ll be known as Conrad.”

“You’re a weird one, Bodt.”

“That’s the pot calling the kettle black, Kirschtein.”

“Enough with the food analogies. Where do you want to eat? We can study and eat at the same time.”

“Sounds good to me. Do you like burgers?” Marco wondered.

“Yeah, but none of the ones around here are any good.” Jean believed.

Marco froze in his footsteps, his mouth hanging open. His expression was a mixture of hurt and disbelief. “Have you never been to Hanne’s hamburger joint?”

“No?”

“Well forgive him Lord, for he has sinned.” Marco offered an apology to some unforeseen deity. Jean stared up at the sky, half expecting some wrath to befall him. Instead, he was repaid with a tackle.

“Ow!”

“I’ll forgive him. Maybe,” a cackle answered Marco’s request. Being sprawled on his back was not Jean’s idea of divine intervention. He almost missed the flurry of freckles that landed on him. Marco offered his hand to pull Jean up, while the person who tackled him laughed.

“Not what I meant, Ymir.” Marco chided his friend.

“Someone had to punish him. What was I punishing him for?” Jean’s least favorite freckled freak was curious.

“Never eating at Hanne’s hamburger whatever place.” Jean growled, dusting himself off. Ymir was shocked for a brief second and was preparing for another tackle when Marco pulled her back.

“Down, Ymir. I’ll correct this problem soon.” Marco warded her off, like pulling a lion away from a juicy steak. Her predatory gaze unnerved Jean and he did not appreciate being eyed like a piece of meat.

“You better. Best burger place this side of Sina. Greasy and good,” she added to Jean’s limited list of recommendations. “Why are you taking frat boy McGee to Hanne’s anyways? I thought it was a sacred spot or some bullshit like that.”

“Tutoring,” Marco gestured to Jean’s big backpack. “Promised Levi he wouldn’t fail his next quiz.”

“Good luck with that. You two are going to need it,” Ymir rolled her eyes, patting Marco on the back and giving Jean the stink eye. Why she seemingly hated him, he had no idea. But he was starting to return the feeling.

\---

Marco was right. As much as Jean wanted to deny it, Marco was right. How Connie failed to mention this burger place was a miracle but holy shit Marco nailed it. He may have questionable choices in friends, as far as Jean was concerned, but his burger tastes were spot on.

“I think I can feel arteries clogging up.” Jean commented as he finished his last bite and his fourth napkin.

“That’s how you know it’s good.” Marco explained, adding to his own mountain of greasy papers. He finished his fries and moved the trash onto the plastic tray provided by the joint. Jean copied his action and removed his liter from table, just as Marco took one more napkin to remove the crumbs and any stray grease from the surface. After the table was clear of trash, Marco removed the tray and told Jean to get his test out.

Time’s normally annoying habit of dragging its feet disappeared as Marco took his time to go over the questions on the test. Despite being a long and difficult test, Marco learned that Jean actually had a good grasp on the material and was not talking out his ass when he said he studied. He just happened to panic and pick the wrong choices, even though he narrowed it down to the correct answer on the multiple choice. Same could be said of the short response. Any questions Jean had were quickly answered, and what Marco could not recall Google pulled through.

Dread filled Jean’s chest when they finally arrived at the extended response. Doodle Levi’s dead beady black eyes pierced Jean in a manner that a drawing of his own creation should not. It was then he noticed the comments beside the doodle that he somehow missed before. The first comment was in legible neat writing while the second comment was dark and scarily sterile. It had no embellishments or slants.

**Doesn’t add to answer. Captures his eyes.**

**Agreed.**

An exasperated sigh slowly left Jean’s throat and he placed his head on the table. Even with Marco’s extra napkin cleaning, the surface was still slick. At least its cool touch helped Jean recover some of his dignity as his TA laughed at him.

“He actually didn’t seem to mind the doodle.” Marco informed Jean, not making him feel any better.

“If he ever needed a reason to hate me, I just gave him another.” He talked into the table, his worry echoing off the cheap plastic.

“Nah, he’s been messing with you long before this. At least from what I gather,” Marco observed, rubbing his chin as he thought back. “Yeah, he’s been doing this since my first day.”

“Well before that,” Jean rested his chin on the table, his eyes staring at his tutor in front of him. Rather than follow up, Marco let the comment sit and motioned for Jean to continue. “Anyways, tell me where I went wrong oh great and smart TA.”

Marco chuckled and continued going over the prompt and breaking down the points for Jean. He showed him where he went wrong, what he could have said, where he could have said it, and even some extra stuff that was not in the chapter but could be assumed by some careful observation. And concluded apparently by one Armin Arlert, whose response was fascinating enough for Levi and Marco to talk about before class. Thank Armin for at least giving Jean some help for the upcoming quiz, albeit unintentionally.

As the test wound down, so did their focus. The tutoring session officially ended after they finished piecing together what would have been a good response, and rewarded their efforts with two milkshakes. Just like the hamburgers, they were fantastic.

“I don’t know how you found this place, but damn this is good.” Jean complimented the shakes.

“Sasha.” Marco answered, enjoying his chocolate shake.

“She’d give Connie a run for his money.”

“He does the same?”

“Oh yeah. Call it Stoner’s Intuition.”

“I just call it Sasha’s nose. She literally smelled this place out last winter in the dead of night. We never ate anywhere near here, but her nose has never led us astray.” Marco recounted, causing Jean snort a little bit.

They enjoyed a small laugh before Jean continued. “So why TA for Levi? He can’t be the easiest to work for from what I’ve heard.”

“Where did you hear that?” Marco twisted his checkered scarf to make it a little looser. Jean watched for a little before continuing.

“I guess it was more an assumption. He never had a TA last year and you joined a bit late.”

“I applied late. My previous job prospect fell through so I needed something. Levi’s class happened to line up with my interest in science.”

“So you picked the meanest professor to balance your infinite kindness?” Jean quirked an eyebrow, still confused why someone would ever work for Levi. Outside his lab on campus, working as a TA could not be that rewarding when there were plenty of other professors that were easier to work and grade for.

“Somebody has to keep your grades up. I expect your quiz next week to go better. I know that you know a lot but your tests don’t show it.” Marco crossed his arms, pushing his empty shake away with an elbow.

“It’s not that difficult to understand,” Jean began, before being interrupted by laughter from his TA. “What?”

“You say that, after we just spent two hours going over a test you just failed.” He did his best to suppress the rest of his chuckles.

“Well yeah. I mean it shouldn’t be difficult, even with living embodiment of a human ass teaching it.”

“So now Levi is an ass? You know he’s really intelligent in his field.”

“Yup, he’s a smart ass.”

Marco squinted at Jean, who kept a slight scowl that was gradually becoming a smile, wrapping his head around what just transpired before it hit him. “Oh shut up!”

Jean broke his scowl and died of laughter.

___

After the tutoring session ended, Jean and Marco went their separate ways to enjoy the rest of their evening. Marco mentioned something about Biology homework but Jean was ready to just sit on the futon and relax. The crisp air reminded him it might be time to start dressing warmer as October began later that week. He pulled his green beanie as low as it could go and powerwalked his way to his dorm.

Ignoring the overwhelming smell of pot next to his dorm, Jean unlocked his dorm and was pleasantly surprised to find it empty and quiet. Jean’s defensive scowl fell from his face and was replaced with a relived smile. He tossed his backpack on the floor to be dealt with later, fell onto the short futon, and kicked his shoes off.

His moment of Zen lasted about three minutes until someone came crashing through the door.

Jean groaned and stared as Eren hopped into the room, sweating profusely and swearing up a storm. He made eye contact with his roommate on the couch and immediately shut his mouth.

“You okay, Jaeger?” Jean questioned, unsure if he should be worried or not.

“Yep. Never better,” Eren replied, flashing a fake grin. He walked with one hand on the wall and looked like he was limping a bit. “Piece of shit.”

“What did you call me?”

“Not you. Stupid leg cramping up.”

“Need some help?” Jean stood up and began walking over to Eren, but his roommate’s green eyes went wide with fear.

“No! I got this.”

Jean froze in his steps as Eren hopped on his right leg over towards his room, occasionally grabbing onto the wall for support. He made a move towards Eren but the cold glare that was sent his way was enough to dissuade Jean from any assistance. Eren hobbled into his room and shut the door. The click of the lock ended any chances of Jean investigating further.

Jumping back onto the couch, Jean turned on the television in hopes of finding something interesting.

\---

University Hospital was located on the far side of campus from Stohess Hall, connected to the Kirschtein College of Science and the lab building. It stood over fifteen floors filled with a variety of treatment centers, laboratories, and animal research. On the recently remodled first floor was the general welcome area, a cafeteria on one end of the sprawling floor, and a few auditoriums for guest speakers. Jean found himself hanging in the cafeteria that was as much a second dining room to him as it were for patients who remained in the hospital for extended periods of time.

Bright orange and yellow paint colored the walls in abstract shapes, sometimes actually materializing in the form of a circle, and enclosed the giant cafeteria. The dark wood trim and white tables provided the extra contrast to the colors and created a generally happy atmosphere. Jean could recall when it was a terrible blue and green monstrosity that tried to capture the feel of the ocean, but that mostly created a drowning sensation than a day at the beach. He had seen the place go through a variety of decorations throughout his nineteen years of life. 

Amber eyes scanned the cafeteria for a matching pair, and in the corner sat the figure Jean was looking for. His father was already halfway through a burger before he noticed Jean walking over. In the sunlight that bathed the room his father’s angular face cast a sharp shadow over his food. His stubble caught some crumbs from the food and Jean did his best not to cringe at his father’s lack of manners. His dad smiled and gestured to a matching tray of food across from him.

Free food, the best way to lure a college student out of their dorm.

“Jean, please dig in.” His father offered before diving right back into his burger. For a respected scientific figure, his father really did not come across as the refined man people thought.

“Thanks, father,” Jean opened his burger, frowning at the extra toppings on his burger. Despite all the years of eating in the hospital cafeteria with his parents his dad still could not get the damn toppings correct. He started picking out the pickles and other stuff. “How’s mom doing?”

“Same old, same old sadly,” his father bit rather harshly into the remains of his food. “The medicine is keeping her stable so that’s all we can ask for.”

“And your lab?”

“Still researching cures and treatments. I’m doing what I can Jean, but there’s only so much I can do.”

“I know, I know…” Jean mumbled. Satisfied with his burger cleansing, he started eating his food.

“Good news that we are testing medicine and the early mice results look promising.” His father grinned, cleaning his stubble of bread crumbs. “Reiss Industries produced a breakthrough that they wanted my lab to test.”

Jean quirked an eyebrow at that information. “Promising how?”

“Reversal of the disease promising.”

“Really?!” Jean jumped out of his seat, not caring that people were staring.

“Yes, but its on the down low,” his father winked, sipping on some water. “But I’m cautiously optimistic considering the best we’ve ever been to do is a week before everything fails. We just started.”

“That could mean-”

“Yes. It could be very good news.” Jean dad laughed, staring at Jean for a little bit. His bright eyes scanned Jean over for a quick second. “Looks like dorm life hasn’t killed you yet. Your room is still open.”

“No way,” Jean crossed his arms, returning to his normal scowl. “I actually enjoy living with the guys and it’s been good for me.”

“How are your grades doing?”

“About the same as last semester.”

“Good. As long as living with your friends doesn’t lead to a bad GPA I can’t really complain.”

“I wouldn’t call them all friends.”

“Grisha’s son?”

“Yeah. We have our moments still. Armin is good at keeping the peace. Connie is never there.”

“Sounds like Armin took after his parents alright. I remember when you guys all used to hang out in the backyard fighting imaginary beasts.” Jean father recalled, enjoying making Jean’s face look like a tomato.

“We were five and we fought giants, not animals.”

“Weren’t you the princess that needed rescuing?”

“Prince! And we took turns.” Jean defended himself.

“Mikasa still saved you all every time. What did you always say about her?”

“I NEV-”

“Ah yes! ‘Mikasa is my hewo and I’m gonna mawwy her’!” Jean’s dad roared with laughter.

___

Lecture on Thursday went much smoother compared to the verbal beating the class took on Tuesday. Jean managed to keep his hand from doodling for half the class, a new personal record, and Eren seemed motivated enough to actually fill out his notes for the first time since the second week of classes. Nothing motivated Eren Jaeger like the fear of God, or in this case Professor Levi Ackerman. Connie remained as uncaring as ever, despite several cold glares from the man in charge of the class, and he messed with his hair for most the class.

The trip to class that afternoon had been uneventful and boring- with Jean’s gaze occasionally falling to Eren. He silently watched his roommate, half expecting him to be wobbling at least, but Eren seemed back to normal. He shrugged it off since Eren was always quick to come back from an injury.

Jean and Armin separated from their buddies and prepared for an afternoon of work, followed by a night of drunken shenanigans. Jean was half temped to ask Armin if he knew about Levi’s and his father’s plans for December but Mikasa’s warning kept him back.

“So, you going to work or learn today?” Armin broke the silence, shivering in the cool breeze.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Jean rolled his eyes.

“I’m thinking about something that’s covered in freckles, dark brown hair, wore a white scarf today, oh and saved you from Levi. Ring any bells?”

“Are you seriously teasing me?”

“Is that a no?”

“I might see Marco for more help, even though we already went over the test. Thanks by the way.”

Armin now had his turn to be confused. He gave Jean an incredulous look as he tried to figure out the meaning behind the not so cryptic statement. “What did I do?”

“We went over your essay. Very interesting choice to tie the prompt back to the Endocrine system and loss of melatonin to Titan.”

“Well I saw an opportunity-”

“To kiss ass?” Jean shook his head from disbelief.

“What? No!” Armin squawked awkwardly as they exited the elevator to their floor.

“Whatever brown noser. I’m taking shelves again so feel free to catch up on your studies. Or do you need more biology journals so you can keep brown nosing?”

“I’m not brown nosing.” Armin’s face went red from either frustration or embarrassment, Jean could not tell the difference.

Before they could continue debating Armin’s ability to kiss ass, they found their TA waiting patiently for them at their desk. Marco waved at both of them as they walked in. “I was wondering when you two would get here. Armin, fascinating essay. Both Levi and I found it an exhilarating read.”

Jean shot Armin a knowing look, only to get punched on the shoulder rather weakly by his roommate. “Thanks, Marco. Can we help you?”

“Not really. I just wanted to give you this to read. I found it particularly fascinating in how it ties the Endocrine system to the nervous and muscular systems. I think it’s right up your alley.” Marco offered a book his student. Armin looked at the cover and quickly flipped to the abstract. His embarrassed frown gave away to a curious scowl and then to a tiny smirk.

“It is. Thanks. I’ll leave you two for tutoring.”

“Doesn’t Jean have to work?”

“Not today,” Armin answered for his coworker. Jean shot him a skeptical glance before continuing. “I got shelves and desk today. Your education is more important Jean Kirschtein.”

Not one for arguing, Jean shrugged his shoulders and followed his TA back further into the shelves and towards his relatively hidden table. Whoever designed the floorplan of the library most certainly did not have efficiency in mind when they planned the stacks, the location of the study tables, and the study rooms. Or maybe they planned to keep the tables out of view for the sake of privacy and quiet for the other students. Both options sounded reasonable to Jean and he did not further question the matter.

Like the first time Marco and Jean fell into a comfortable silence as they gathered their materials from their respective bags and prepared for education. Due to completing the test, they both opted to go over the lecture notes Jean took and add in the missing blanks. Jean did his best to not notice the look of disbelief Marco was shooting his way when he saw the notes giving away to another Levi doodle, this one staring at something interesting off the page, leaning on his black cane for support.

They managed to catch up on about half the lecture due to the depth of the material Marco insisted they study. Despite believing it was overkill, Jean retained what he could and wrote down the rest. He kept his notes brief and to the point before the remainder of his attention span went out the window.

“And from there one can see how the systems are interconnected.” Marco finished his point, not noticing Jean passed out face first in his notes. “You okay, Kirschtein?”

“Yeah, just mentally collapsing.” He groaned.

“But we haven’t even started on how this ties back to the muscular system form Tuesday!”

“Another time, please Bodt.” Jean begged, much to Marco’s amusement.

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard you say please.”

“And you won’t again if I’m lucky.”

“Baby, _please_.” Another voice echoed from the stacks.

Jean’s ears perked up at that and glanced at Marco. “What did you say?”

“That wasn’t-”

“ _Right there_!”

Both college students looked at each other and paused for a split second before rushing to put their stuff back into their bags. In the scramble their stuff started getting messed up. “Bodt, that’s mine.”

“I don’t care. We can fix this later.”

“But-” Jean tried to argue before another moan cut him off. “Fair point, let’s go.”

They both jumped out of their seats and powerwalked to the front of the library. They found Armin with his nose deep in the book Marco gave him, glasses almost slipping off his nose. He looked over his book to see a pair of rather flushed brunets waiting for him. “Time to go already?”

“Yes.” They both replied together. 

Armin shrugged it off and placed his book in a drawer with his glasses. Despite his friends’ odd behavior he chose not to ask them why they were red as they exited the library.

\---

“I don’t know if I should.” Marco said, rubbing the back of his head. He knew his homework was important but this was a chance to hang out with his students and get to know them better.

“Procrastinate for once. Is your biology homework even due tomorrow?” Jean questioned.

“No…” Marco conceded. Armin bounced next to him and poked him.

“Then join us. It’s not every day Jean invites someone to game with us.” Armin mentioned with an amused smile. Jean raised a finger at Armin and opened his mouth, but no retort came out.

“True.” Jean finally conceded.

“ _Fine_ ,” Marco admitted defeat. “If only to find out why you guys look so terrible at lab.”

“Hey, I look fantastic thank you.”

“Mostly when your smiling.” Marco laughed.

“Agreed.” Armin acknowledged.

“Thank for the back-up, coconut-cut.” Jean rolled his eyes.

“That was one time in high school. Low blow, Jean.” Armin scoffed, running a protectively through his hair.

“One time? Try like all of freshman year.”

“Hey at least it’s layered now.”

“Yeah, yeah. You look great with it.”

“Really?” Armin stopped in his tracks for a second, staring in disbelief at Jean. Marco observed the two and was confused.

Jean glanced at Armin, a bit surprised by Armin’s reaction. “What? No one ever tell you that?”

A creeping redness on Armin’s cheek gave the answer before Armin could confirm it himself. Marco ruffled Armin’s hair and smirked. “I don’t think Kirschtein lies that much.”

“Only to Levi and Eren.” Armin remembered.

“Speaking of which, how’s tutoring Twiddle Dee and Twiddle Dum working for ya?”

“Connie scored higher that you, remember? And Eren hasn’t come to me yet. We’re starting this weekend.” 

“Good luck with that.” Jean held the door open to Stohess Hall for his roommate and TA. They climbed the stairs in relative silence, Marco glancing at the various posters hanging outside the doors to each floor. Once they reached the fifth floor, he paused for a moment before following his two students to their room. An overwhelming air of weed clogged the entry to their room and Marco gagged at the smell. Armin and Jean ignored it in favor of getting into the dorm as quick as possible.

“Good to know Connie is pre-gaming.” Jean muttered under his breath, annoyance making an appearance in his voice. Armin frowned in agreement while Marco coughed a bit.

“They need to open a window in there.” Marco commented in between breaths.

“No window can air that room.” Armin offered his two cents before disappearing towards his room.

Marco observed the dorm, grimacing at the mess. Clearly he was not impressed by the condition of the room although Jean found his reaction rather amusing. Giving Marco a quick tour of the dorm, Jean pointed out some of the rather fascinating benefits of a handicapped room including the extra bathroom, a semi broken lamp by the TV, and the second mini-fridge which hosted all of Connie’s food. The dorm’s resident stoner converted it into a makeshift freezer full of ice cream and nothing else- there was simply not enough space.

Since there was nothing to entertain Marco until the others arrived, Jean got to setting up the Nintendo 64 and prepping for the inevitable party to come. He cleaned up as much as he could, not complaining when Marco started removing some of Eren’s extra dishes from the floor.

“Just dump them in the sink. Jaeger can clean it later.” Jean unceremoniously dropped some of Connie’s food in the trash, not bothering to watch Marco work.

“So what are we playing tonight?” Marco wondered innocently.

“Beeriokart. Ever played it before?”

“No. Is that what the N64 is doing here?”

“Yes. Time to give you a crash course before Reiner crashes you into the ground.”

\---

The magic of videogames is their ability to make time fly without people noticing. Getting sucked into a game whether through its gameplay, music, challenge, or message is the easiest way to lose track of one’s surroundings. Games captivate the players and make them unaware of what’s going on around them. Case and point were Jean and Marco when they did not notice people entering the room until boxes of beer were dropped next to them, making them jump from fright.

The two players paused their game to stare at who bursted their bubble of peace. To their surprise, there was a cart of beer in the middle of the living room, surrounded by four people. Eren and Reiner were expected, but the giant freckled demon and the Youtube star were not. Ymir cackled at their reaction, grabbing the cart for support when Marco furrowed his brow to make the meanest face he could. Bert rubbed the back of his head, apologizing repeatedly for Reiner’s reaction, and sweating a little.

Eren also joined Ymir in laughter before a slamming door caught his attention. Armin stomped out into the living room, pausing when he saw the giant cart of alcohol. “Please try to not be too loud.”

“Yeah, sorry.” Eren stared at Armin in his tanktop and cutoff shorts and reddened from embarrassment. Armin shrugged before walking to the kitchen to grab his cooking supplies. Everyone watched in silence as he got his stuff, bacon apron included, and left.

“Where’s she going dressed like that?” Ymir blurted out, right as the door closed.

“Working _his_ magic to make us treats. And if you want free food I wouldn’t make fun of him for it.” Jean advised, moving to unload the packs of beer from the shopping cart in the middle of their dorm. Ymir scoffed before picking up a box and stacking it on top of the one Reiner dropped earlier. “How did you guys manage to get all of this in here? Didn’t the RA on duty look at the cart? And why so much?”

“Nope. Just wheeled it in here no problem. It would be easier if you guys didn’t live in a dry dorm.” Reiner grabbed a can and popped it open, preparing for the evening ahead. “Berlt over here is kind enough to offer a collaboration video to help get my channel some attention.”

“It’s just an idea to get the video we took last week some views.” Bertl clarified, perspiring a little bit more when Jean’s eyes sent daggers in his direction. 

“Why are you here?” Ymir questioned her freckled doppelganger. 

“I got invited.” He smiled, walking over to the cart and pulling out two bottles of red wine. He shot Bertl a quizzical look as he flipped the bottles around in his hand, returning his gaze to labels.

“That’s for Kirschtein. For as much as we’re gonna drink he needs something prissier since he can’t handle his beer.” Reiner explained. 

“You can keep your alcoholic piss to yourself.” Jean gagged, before claiming the two bottles from Marco’s hands.

Ymir growled defensively at the insult but said no more, instead choosing to copy Reiner and open a can. Everyone began settling in their positions as chairs were stolen from the kitchen to accommodate the living room. Jean and Eren helped get extra chairs from their rooms while Bertholdt and Reiner set up some weird camera system for them. Jean was puzzled by it but ignored it as he opted to sit on the floor in front of the futon.

“How’s this going to work, buddy?” Eren poked Bertholdt’s leg.

“Well one faces the TV to catch the screen and the other catches the reaction of the people on the futon and floor. Since only four people are playing I figured we can leave the others cropped out.” Bertl tried to explain, but Eren nodded along and pretended like none of the information went over his head. 

Everyone grabbed their drinks and took their places. Since it was the first round it was decided they would play teams, Reiner and his friends against Bertholdt and his crew. First up were Reiner and Eren against Bertl and Ymir, while everyone else waited for Armin to return and more people to come. Bertholdt started the camera and waited for everyone to settle down before going into his intro.

“Hey guys, Colossus here! Today I’m going to be playing Beeriokart with some friends as well as Reiner from ArmoredUp. You guys should really check out his channel and watch a prank we did last week if you have the time,” Bertl began while Reiner shot the camera an award winning grin and thumbs up when he was mentioned. Jean scowled at the memory of the prank and flipped Eren off when his roommate leered at him. 

“The rules for the game are simple. If you fall off the course, you drink. If you get hit by a power up, you drink. In order to win a race you have to finish your drink. Pretty much we’re going to be trashed by the end of this. As always I’ll try to keep this as family friendly as possible, but if you’re watching this you’ve been warned. Because alcohol.”

“First up its team Colossus versus team ArmoredUp!” Marco acted as the off screen referee.

“Bring it on bitches!” Ymir shouted, causing Bertl to groan.

“Family friendly, Ymir!”

\---

Five rounds of racing, many expletive-laced insults, and a two dozen cans of beer later, everyone was in a cheery mood when the door opened to reveal Armin in his apron. If they didn’t see him earlier they would’ve assumed he was wearing almost nothing behind the bacon printed garb. In his hands was a giant tray of cookies, steaming fresh and distracting all the people sitting by the television.

Armin walked over to the counter and started filling plastic plates with the chocolate chip goodies, the smell making mouths water. He balanced several plates and walked over to the TV, falling gracefully in the center of the group in between Eren and Ymir. Plates of cookies were distributed as people took a break to refill their stomachs, and someone had the courtesy to provide Armin with some of the cheap beer. He gave a quick thanks before cracking it open and starting on his own plate of sweets.

“I think it’s time to switch up teams,” Reiner declared with a mouthful of cookies. “Ymir and Eren switch out.”

“Aw, I’m still not done kicking your butts.” Ymir paused for a hiccup, covering her mouth during the little interruption. Bertl shot her a skeptical look so she gave up. “Marmar you’re up.”

“But I don’t drink American beer…” he frowned. Jean died laughing when he heard Ymir’s nickname for Marco.

“Marmar?” Jean asked in between laughs. His laughter was cut short when a good punch from the other freckled person in the room knocked some sense into him.

“Me and only me can call him that, got it?” She warned.

“Whatever. You can have the other bottle of wine if you’re picky,” Jean passed his wine. A gasp of surprise drew his attention to Reiner, who had his hand on his cheeks, dramatically feigning surprise.

“Did our little Jean learned to share his drinks? I’m so proud.” Reiner wiped away a fake tear from his eye.

“Sounding like Connie is unbecoming of you, Reiner.”

“Where is man-bun? I thought he was supposed to be here tonight.” Eren interrupted, tossing his can on the floor as he finished the last of it.

“Take a guess.” Jean rolled his eyes.

“Next door?” Reiner humored Jean’s rhetorical request.

“And the Oscar for No Shit, Sherlock goes to the hulk.” Jean mocked, offering a giant cookie from his plate to Reiner. He took the cookie with a giant smile and bit right into his reward, not bothering to figure out if Jean’s response was an insult or not.

“It smells so bad. You’d think they’d open a window.” Bertl added.

“No window will clear that smell,” Armin dismissed the proposed solution. “It’s why Annie and Mikasa turned around.”

“Wait, they aren’t coming?” Jean snapped his neck towards his roommate/coworker. Armin nodded and he groaned. “I’m never going to be able to apologize to her.”

Eren made a dismissive gesture with his hand and looked at Jean. “Pft, you’re fine. ‘Kasa hates the smell of weed so it’d not your fault. Connie’s the one in trouble.”

“Whatever, I want to drink. Let’s play.”

\---

Mariokart devolved from fair game play and witty quips to downright nasty remarks once the second pack of 24 beer cans was finished and the third was opened. Two empty wine bottles laid in front of the N64, pointed towards Jean and Marco. Both were focused on the race as the other two players were stopped, chugging their beers. Armin was trying his best to swallow the nasty drink, but he could only get a few gulps before coughing some back up, while Eren had no issue downing his drink.

The shining moment of the race occurred when Jean made the mistake of hitting a banana, as Marco left him a red shell, only to be followed up by Eren striking everyone with lightning, and Armin finishing him off by running him over with star powered bullshit. Needless to say, Jean was not a happy camper. He tossed his controller over to Armin, who was perched on Ymir’s lap at her insistence. “I’m done. You and you’re gay pride powered bullshit can eat a dick.”

“W-what?” Armin coughed on his beer. 

“You and you’re star power can choke on a fat one.” Jean reiterated, standing up and going to the kitchen. “Do we have anything except cheap beer in here? I’m not drinking that shit.”

“Ooh, I got something.” Eren volunteered, slowly getting up. He swayed a little bit as he limped through the sea of cheap beer cans to get to his room. A loud crash caught everyone’s attention. “I am okay!”

“What?” Reiner called back.

“I said I got the thing.” Eren reemerged with a giant plastic bottle of Vodka.

Jean’s face contorted into a look of disgust as he stared at it. He took the container from Eren, wrinkling his nose as he sniffed it, almost gagging on the aroma. “Is this really all we have?” Eren’s excessive nodding left him little choice.

“Drink up, frat boy.” Ymir teased. Jean pinched his nose and took several gulps before coughing on the clear drink.

“Tastes like lighter fluid.” He clawed at his tongue in vain to try and remove the nasty taste. “Cookie now, Bodt.”

Marco handed over the last plate of cookies to his student, who took a big bite and moaned at the change in taste. “Armin, your cooking is a godsend.”

“And one minute ago you were telling him to choke on a penis,” Reiner laughed. “You’re easy, Jean.”

“I appreciate the little things.”

“Like your dick?” Ymir asked.

“Yes, like my- HEY!”

The room filled with laughter as Jean tried to hit Ymir, only to crush an empty can and fall forward onto the floor full of other beer cans. Marco scooted over and helped him onto his knees. Jean steadied himself, despite being a bottle of wine in, and glared at the mess on the floor. “You guys are cleaning this shit up.”

“We clean what we drink.” Reiner agreed. “And we drink what we clean.”

“What?” Armin asked.

“I said we got Homecoming in the next few weeks. And you guys can all be my date.” Reiner announced.

“Someone take his beer away.” Jean requested, as Armin leaned out of Ymir’s lap to remove the can from Reiner. Their giant friend let out a hearty laugh and held his drink above Armin’s head, just out of reach. He tried to grab the can and when he was close, Reiner flipped it over and poured the last of his beer on Armin’s head.

“I choose you as my date.”

Armin’s face went from red with anger to pink with embarrassment. “Wh-what?”

“You have blond hair. I like blond. Dance with me.”

Reiner stood up to grab his date, only to fall forward into the sea of metal cans, the crash shaking the room. An overwhelming silence fell over the group as they processed what just happened, before a loud snore broke the tension, and everyone began laughing.

“Well, I guess you owe him a dance later.” Ymir poked Armin, still red.

“He was drunk.” Armin pointed out, his face finally returning to a normal color.

“I is drunk.” Reiner spoke into the floor, raising an arm to show he was making a statement. “I _am_ drunk. I blame Bertl’s red shells.”

“And this kids is why you drink responsibly.” Bertholdt faced the camera on the TV, as if revealing a life lesson to an invisible crowd. Jean remembered this was all still being filmed and he just fell forward, covering his mouth to prevent his laughter from escaping. “I think it’s time to start cleaning up because we still have class tomorrow.”

“Oh no, lab!” Marco all but shouted as he looked at his watch.

“Oh no, lab.” Jean mocked his TA, placing the back of his hand on his forward. “Not sure about Jaeger though.”

“I might sleep in.” Eren confessed as a yawn escaped his throat.

“You’re not missing _my lab_ because you can’t hold your beer.” His TA warned, shooting Eren what Marco considered a nasty glare, but honestly looked like an angry puppy.

_Cute._ Jean laughed to himself.

Before the rambling could continue a loud bang startled everyone in the room. “Campus security, open up!”

Everyone’s faces went white as chalk when they processed that. Jean sobered up fast as he glanced around the room at the sea of beer cans and the state of everyone. They could not answer the door like this.

The loud knock repeated again, but Jean noticed it wasn’t their door that was rattling.

“We’re coming in.” The neighboring door slammed open as shouts were heard. Everyone inside Jean’s room remained absolutely quiet as security rampaged into the next room, based off all the banging and thuds. After it began to quiet down, a bitter idea contorted Jean’s expression. Armin was the first to notice.

“What is it?” he whispered.

“Connie…” Jean mumbled. The people in the room groaned when they remembered.

“Whose Connie?” Ymir not so quietly asked Marco.

“One of my students and their other roommate.”

“Well he’s fucked.” Ymir faced the door.

Jean rolled his eyes at the obvious, wanting to glare his freckled guest, but was too afraid to move in the warzone that was the living room floor flooded with empty cans. Stealth was impossible in this situation. Reiner began to stir again but Armin slipped off Ymir and onto Reiner’s back to prevent him from moving. As they remained silent, the noises in the neighboring room continued in spurts.

“Is there any more contraband in here?” One cop asked someone, but the response was too faint to hear.

Eventually the noise died down that Jean was brave enough to stand up and walk towards the door. He cringed as he stepped on an empty can. He ignored the cold stares being sent his way, and Reiner’s short laugh that was muffled by the floor.

“You’re all under arrest for possession of marijuana among many other charges that’ll be explained back at the station. Take them away!”

Jean reached the door and peeked out the eyehole, trying to see who all got in trouble, but a cop’s back stood directly in front of his view. He jumped back from surprise when the cop turned around and knocked on the door. “Ah!”

“Sir, please open the door.” The cop asked, aware of Jean’s presence. Jean glanced back at the others and they all jumped up and began grabbing all the stray beer cans that they could.

“One minute!” Jean replied.

“I know you’re at the door so open up.”

Everyone stopped what they were doing and Armin whispered directions to them. Instead of cleaning up, they rearranged themselves in front of the scene as Jean cracked the door. “Yes?”

“Uh, could you open the door completely?” The man requested. Jean let out a sigh and opened the door all the way, hoping that whatever happened behind him was alright. “Sorry to intrude but-”

The cop paused as he looked over the scene in front of him. On the ground in front of the futon were Reiner and Bertl, laying in the French girl pose. Eren was holding the lone lamp in the corner, pretending to provide lighting for the two on the ground, while Marco and Ymir held the cameras to film the two models on the floor. Armin emerged from behind the futon with a stack of papers and looked over at the door. Jean’s mouth dropped, surprised the cart of alcohol was missing, as well as all the cans on the floor.

“How can we help you ociffer?” Reiner asked, his voice huskier than normal. Eren kicked him in the head for the drunken remark. “Er, officer.”

“Uh, am I interrupting something?” the cop asked.

“Yeah, we’re filming for her English class.” Marco explained, Ymir waving her hand.

“What kind of assignment is this?”

Marco and Ymir looked at each other, clearly at a loss. Leave it to Armin to provide the saving grace. “A how to model film. For Technical Writing.”

“That.” Ymir agreed.

“Okay…” the clearly confused man agreed. “I’m just here to apologize for the racket. I’m not sure of you knew but your RA and her friends were smoking marijuana. A lot of it. We left a note for her roommate since her room was locked. If you see her before we do, tell her she needs to find other housing for the next week.”

“Why?”

“That place smells worse than a frat house party.”

“Hey!” Reiner moved, slightly offended by the remark. He tried to get up but Eren’s foot pinned his head to the ground.

“Point being it needs a thorough cleaning so she’ll need to move out for a little bit. It’s a pigsty in there.”

“We’ll tell her, don’t worry, sir.” Jean reassured the cop. “Have a good day, officer.”

“Apologize for insulting fraternities!” Reiner shouted, struggling to move under Eren’s right foot. “Not all frats are bad.” The cop turned to see the commotion, just in time to see Reiner’s head knock Eren off balance, sending him crashing to the ground. Reiner moved just enough that a giant pile of beer cans came flooding out under the futon and towards the door. Jean face palmed as a can rolled towards his foot.

“And what do we have here?” the cop asked, glancing at the can.

“Soda, sir,” Jean replied quickly.

“Really, ‘cause looks an awful lot like a PBR can.”

“Pabst Blue Rootbeer?” Jean offered weakly, trying not to flinch under the cop’s harsh look.

“Stevens, whats taking so long?” Another cop shouted down the hall, walking towards the room. “We’re supposed to be back at the hospital in five.”

“Just found some more troublemakers, sir. “ The security guard pointed to the flood of cans. When the new cop came into view, Jean’s mouth dropped. “This is a dry dorm so no alcohol.”

The new cop glanced into the room, observing the kids before he laughed. He ran his lanky hand through his dark blond hair. “Stevens, I don’t think we have enough handcuffs for everyone here. Besides, they obviously weren’t disturbing the peace.”

“But, sir-”

“Let it go, son. Get to the car, I’ll talk with them.” The new officer ordered. The other cop shrugged his shoulders before leaving. Once the man went to the stairs, the new cop glanced at Jean. “PBR, Jean? I thought you had better taste than your father.”

Jean was confused for a split second before he recognized the man. “Not my choice, Officer Leonhardt.”

“Well, I’m sure he’ll enjoy hearing about this.”

“Please don’t.”

“Jean, you realize we did worse back in our college years? He’ll get a kick out of this.” Officer Leonhardt chuckled. “Either way it’s late and it’s a Thursday, so I’ll let you off with a warning. Clean up and go to bed, it’s a school night after all.”

“Thank you, sir.”

Officer Leonhardt waved him goodbye before heading to the stairwell, leaving Jean and his friends alone. Jean turned around to find Eren flailing helpless on his back, with Armin attempting to get him on his feet. Ymir helped Bertholdt check on his cameras, leaving Reiner laughing on the floor. Jean’s fraternity brother rolled onto his side and struck his pose.

“Hey, Kirschtein.”

“What, you asshat?”

“Can you paint me like one of your French girls?”

Jean grabbed the empty beer can at his foot and chucked it at Reiner, hitting him directly on the forehead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This ended up being a lot longer than I expected but that's what happens when characters like to write themselves, especially at the end in this case.
> 
> I hope you guys enjoyed the story, feel free to leave a kudos or a comment, and as always you can find me on tumblr under the same blog name if want to leave an ask! Have a great day!


	9. Surprise, Surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which everyone's actions receive consequences (see Connie and Eren), and a new RA appears!

Friday morning quietly crept into the dorm, the sunlight gradually crawling onto the walls and steadily towards the floor. Jean barely got any sleep, instead tossing and turning, glaring at the cart of alcohol parked next to his bed. Damn Reiner or whoever stuck the stupid thing in his room during the panic, but at least they weren’t in trouble. Well _they_ were okay, but Connie was unknown. As much as he drove Jean up a wall, he was still his best friend and close confidant. Giving up on any more futile attempts at sleep, Jean pulled himself from his warm covers and grabbed a towel. Showers were perfect for clearing thoughts.

After the cops left the apartment everyone used the opportunity to scatter. Everyone that could move at least. The living room was still a metallic ocean of cans that started to stink, with a massive lump of flesh in the center acting as an island. Since it was Reiner a continent might be a more fitting analogy. He was in no condition to leave so he claimed a piece of the floor as his own and promptly fell asleep before anyone could reject the idea. Armin was kind enough to drop a blanket that was a little too small around him and offered a stuffed bear as a pillow.

The mess in the room was an affront to Jean, Armin, and more than likely Eren when he sobered up. Even though that kid thrived in a pig sty, he was especially testy about things being left on the floor.

Jean grabbed a paper from the kitchen counter and scribbled a note to Reiner, taping it to his chest.

**Clean this shit up before you leave. Water in the fridge.**

\---

“Thank you Lord for this wonderful gift,” Jean murmured as he sipped his coffee.

Once he finished showering, he opted to get some caffeine before he inevitably crashed in lab. Marco yelling at him for sleeping was not in his morning plans. Not that his TA ever yelled. Glare and make disapproving looks yes, but never raising his voice.

Sina was blessed with a variety of fast food, overpriced groceries, and books, but only had one tiny coffee shop near the student union. With as many caffeine deprived souls that meandered from building to building, Jean thought they would have brought on a bigger chain like Starbucks or at least expand the shop, but no such luck. He counted his lucky stars when he managed to not only beat the line, but he managed to grab a small table in the corner.

Still having some time before lab, Jean messed around on his laptop. Social media yielded no new messages, and his university email was full of the usual junk but nothing useful. Feeling beyond bored, he casually switched to the news tab and tried to catch up on the world around him. Turns out he could sum up the world around him as terrible.

What caught his eye was a local article that found its way onto his Facebook feed.

**Former local university student still missing.**

Clicking on the article, Jean scanned it with more interest than some of the other headlines. His eyebrows furrowed more and more as they went further down the page. A hand on his shoulder brought him out of his trance and he jumped from the touch.

“Whoa! You ok there, buddy?” A concerned voice asked. Jean pulled out his earbuds and glanced up at matching amber eyes.

“Oh yeah. Just catching up on the news.” Perks of having a parent work in the university hospital included random meet-ups at the sole coffee shop nearby. “Doesn’t the hospital have free coffee?”

“If you think hospital food is bad, you should see what we drink. It’s like mud on a good day.” Jean’s father cringed. “Anything interesting in the world?”

“That girl you saw a few weeks ago is missing.” Jean turned his laptop to show his father, who sipped his coffee. After reading some lines he let out a held breath. “How many more missing persons until the cops do something?”

“I heard she just moved back home. I guess someone reported her.”

“Dad…”

“I don’t know what the cops can do. We both know that a missing case is hard, but when Titan is involved it becomes worse.”

“The cops should-”

“The cops should doesn’t mean the cops will. People with Titan have been going missing for years and they barely bat an eye. Not just here but all over the country.” Jean’s father furrowed his brow and hardened his face.

Jean scowled, knowing the truth in his father’s words. “Just because it’s true doesn’t mean it should be.”

“People are prejudiced. Welcome to the real world.”

“Just keep mom safe. Please, father.” Jean softened his gaze and his scowl turned into a sad frown.

“I’ll try to do more than that.” His father reassured him, placing a firm grip on his son’s shoulder. “You really do share your mother’s positive outlook. And her beautiful eyes.”

“Thanks, father,” Jean mumbled before recalling something. “Can you do me a favor?”

“Depends. I’m not cleaning your dorm.”

“Can you get me into the stem cell presentation next Wednesday?” Jean ignored his father’s quip, although the timing could have been better.

His father quirked an eyebrow and followed it up with a smile. “Finally taking an interest in science? Of course I can. I might have to sneak an extra chair by my table but I can make it happen. How did you know about this?”

“Dr. Ackerman invited Armin and it sounded interesting.” Jean watched his father as his cheerful demeanor froze. As quick as it froze, his smile turned into a devilish grin.

“So you want to get back at your professor then?”

“I heard it as supposed to be a groundbreaking discovery or something so that’s why.” Jean admitted. He rubbed the back of his head before lowering his voice once more. “Bu yes pissing off Levi is a perk.”

“You’re a chip off the old block.” His father roared with laughter, slapping Jean on the back with a little more force than intended. 

\---

Adding to Jean’s lists of firsts for the day included beating not only Thomas Wagner and his friends to class, but also Armin. Hell, he beat the entire class. Taking advantage of the quiet Jean pulled out his notebook and started doodling, not paying attention to people as they slowly trickled into the Friday morning lab. Armin sat next to Jean but ignored the poorly drawn patterns on the paper. Armin’s yawn caught Jean off-guard and he shot his roommate a weird look.

“Too much fun last night.” Armin replied. He pulled out his notebook and opened the tab designated for the lab.

“Jaeger keep you up?”

“What?” Armin snapped his head, shedding any tired look from his face.

“You helped him back last night. He was almost as bad as Reiner…” Jean stared at the ceiling as he thought back.

“He’s easily persuadable when he’s that drunk so convincing him to go to bed wasn’t that bad.”

“He is, eh? I gotta try that next time.” Jean’s mind began thinking of the random shit he could convince Eren to do. That just made the fraternity activities a little more interesting.

“Jean…”

“I won’t abuse this knowledge.” Jean raised his hands in defense, receiving a well-deserved skeptical look from Armin. “Mostly.”

“Where are Eren and Connie? I’m surprised you’re here this early.”

“Dunno. I left early.”

Worry flashed across Armin’s face but there was nothing either of them could do, especially when class was about to begin. They both sat there waiting pensively as the time for lab to begin passed. Except there was no Eren or Connie. Or Marco, their TA and lab instructor. 

The class waited around ten minutes before Marco came running through the door, with a bad case of bedhead and his shirt buttoned incorrectly. Jean chuckled that everything about his appearance was disheveled except for the dark blue and green scarf. Of course that was impeccable.

“I’m so sorry I’m late. I slept waaaaay longer than I intended. I swear this never happens to me!” Marco apologized profusely to the lab. Due to it being Friday morning and lab, no one really seemed to mind and Marco managed to figure that out when the biggest response he got was a shrug from Jean. He shot Marco a knowing look, who laughed nervously as he shuffled through his messenger bag.

The class waited as Marco began to look more and more nervous again. He redoubled his efforts to go through his bag and pulled everything out, but he couldn’t find what he was searching for. He hit himself on the forehead and sighed. This really was not his morning.

“I _know_ I had the labs in here last night at the library.” Marco pulled out a familiar test from his bag and realization drained the color from his face. He let out a low groan and walked over to Jean. He placed a test Jean’s notebook and placed a hand out. “I believe you have the labs.”

“What?” Jean coughed, suddenly pushed into the spotlight. He could feel the eyes of his peers on him as he pulled his backpack up.

“I think you grabbed it after our tutoring session ended… abruptly.”

Jean turned his head in confusion before he remembered hearing the voices in the library again. “Oh, yeah. That bullshit.” He dug into his backpack and found a manila folder that was definitely not his and handed it to Marco. 

His TA glanced through folder and let out a sigh of relief. “Great, let’s start class. Wait, where is everyone?”

Marco ran back to the front and grabbed his attendance sheet and started going through the names.

“Eren Jaeger?” He called out.

“Recovering, probably.” Jean quipped, flinching when Armin elbowed him. Marco muttered something under his breath before continuing.

“Conrad Springer?”

“Take a guess. Ouch!” Jean rubbed his side from another elbow.

Marco continued down the list as people gave varying excuses for the ones they knew.

“Thomas Wagner?”

“Same as Connie.” Jean informed him.

“Really?” Marco wondered, earning a nod from a rather tired Jean Kirschtein. “Well, we’ve started late enough so let’s get going.”

\---

“You don’t have to clean up, Bodt. That’s what Reiner is for.” Jean explained to his TA as he followed Armin and him back to their dorm.

“I insist. We left in a rush and I feel bad leaving your room a mess.” Marco replied, shoving a hand into his khaki pants pockets.

“Don’t you want to grade our lab reports or something?” Jean teased, not that he cared if his TA followed or not. Even only having met the kid for a month, Jean was warming up to his presence.

“I got Saturday night for that.”

“You really don’t have a life, do you?” Jean rhetorically asked, his voice biting more than he intended to. Marco flinched a little at that accusation and dropped his eyes. Sighing at his own harshness, Jean corrected himself. “Don’t you have like a girlfriend or something that needs your attention?”

“Uh, no?”

“Seriously? Everyone is happily single, damn.” Jean rolled his eyes. “You, Armin, Eren, Connie…”

“Where is Conrad?”

“Same as last night. We really don’t know but probably at the police station with a hell of a hangover.”

Armin furrowed his brow and his mouth dropped at the blunt response. True or not, he still worried about their roommate and Jean seemed to care less.

The three students made their way to the fifth floor, and were surprised to see the RA’s room was still sealed. Jean was surprised Mina’s roommate seemingly had not returned, not that Jean even knew who this person was. It had been a month since moving in and he never saw as much as another soul in that room. Shrugging his shoulders, he unlocked his dorm and walked into a surprise.

Not only were the cans all gone from the floor, so were the plates and random laundry. Piled in the corner was a basket with the old clothes thrown into it. Jean glanced over at the counter and tables and saw all the plates were washed and put in their proper place. Hell, the counter actually reflected the light from the sun without showing so much as a speck of food or dust. The place was actually clean. “The fuck?”

Armin punched Jean for his reaction, but even the blond was slack-jawed at finding the dorm spotless. This was not the same room they left for lab. On the couch playing games was Eren playing Mario on the old N64. He paused and muttered a curse as he finagled with himself on the futon. The guys came over to see him pull a blanket over himself. Reiner or the cans were nowhere to be found.

“Hi Arm, Kirschtein, Marco,” Eren waved as he resumed playing the game. Eren’s eyes actually seemed calm and were a vibrant green instead of the cloudy blue-green Jean was used to. Was this even the same kid?

“Did you clean all of this?” Armin gestured around the dorm.

“Only the counter and dishes. I think Reiner got the cans. And Connie’s ice cream.”

Jean poked Eren in the head, receiving a growl from his olive skinned friend. Jaeger paused the game and glared at him. “Just checking you’re the same asshole.”

Eren sighed and pinched his scarred nose. “Yes, its me. I’m just in a good mood.”

“Why?”

“No lab means early weekend!” Eren cheered, before noticing Marco standing behind his roommates. “Err… no offense.”

“None taken. I wish I could miss lab today too.” Marco undid his scarf and showcased he misbuttoned his shirt.

“You looked like a million dollars when you sprinted in today, Bodt.” Jean laughed, walking to the fridge to pull out a can of soda. When he opened it, he found shelves full of unopened beer. “Jaeger…”

“I’ll finish it by Monday. There’s some Pepsi in there.” Eren waved him off, returning to his game. Armin gave him a concerned look but Eren ignored it. “Somewhere.”

“Please be careful when you drink this time.” Armin poked his leg from on top the blanket. Eren glanced to the side quickly before continuing after the star in the same. “Have you seen Connie?”

“He wasn’t in class with you guys?”

“Nope. Neither was Thomas or his friends.”

“Well, shit.”

Loud cursing broke the brief silence and everyone turned to the door.

“I guess Mina’s roommate is back.” Jean stated to no one in particular, cracking open his Pepsi and taking a gulp. Everyone turned towards the TV when a giant thud shook the floor.

“WHAT THE HELL?!”

That grabbed everyone’s attention, as a thud rocked the floor. Jean walked over to the door and flipped the lock, not wanting to deal with this again at all. Random crashes were heard next door along with more expletives, but none were clear enough to understand. The neighboring door swung open and hit the wall, right as someone began pounding at their door.

“Let me in!” A worried voice shouted. Jean merely stepped back from the rumbling piece of wood.

“Get over here!” A loud but distinctly female voice shouted. 

“I said- ouch! That I’m- ouch! Sor- ouch!” The other voice pleaded, as something kept cutting him off. Once the voice lowered it in tone Jean recognized it.

“Connie?” Jean thought aloud, just enough for the voice on the other side to hear him.

“Jean, open the door!”

“Oh no you don’t.”

“Not the hair- ouch! Quit hitting me, woman!”

A slap echoed down the corridor and Armin flinched at that. Refusing to look through the eyehole, Jean unlocked the door and pulled it open. Connie stumbled into the room, tripping over his feet, and crashed into the floor. Behind him marched in Mina’s angry roommate, pinning Connie to the floor with her foot as he tried to crawl away.

“You come into my dorm. Stink up my room with your weed. Hide in my room,” the girl punctuated each phrase with another whack of a Pringles can. “And you eat ALL of my food. My personal stash.”

“I was hungry and terrified!” Connie flailed weakly under the girl’s weight. She smacked him one more time with the Pringles can before tossing it aside to take a breath, still pinning Connie below her foot. When she pulled her brown hair back, Jean and Marco looked at each other to see if they were looking at the same person.

“Sasha?” Both asked, surprise reflected in their inflection.

“Marco, Jean?” She questioned. Sasha removed her foot from Connie, but he simply lay there.

Eren paused his game, wrapped the blanket around himself, and walked back to his room. “Tell me when you straighten this out.”

“You’re Mina’s roommate?” Jean finally asked.

Sasha let out a deep breath and nodded. “Was. The note on the door said she was removed and they’re getting a replacement RA.”

“Sorry for your loss?” Jean apologized, unsure if this was a good or bad thing.

“I’m glad she’s gone. I can finally sleep in my dorm again, even if it smells like the Art department.”

Connie wobbled as he pulled himself into a ball, and then he struggled to pull himself up. Any clean smell the dorm had was slowly getting overpowered by his scent, which was a combination of weed and body odor. He dusted himself off as he pulled his shaking frame together.

“How did you not get arrested?” Jean turned his attention to his best friend, who definitely had seen better days.

“He locked himself in my room. And he ate _all_ of my chips.” Sasha growled.

“Bad choice, Conrad.” Marco chuckled.

“Just call me Connie, teach.” He offered.

“And call me Marco.” 

“That’s just weird.” Connie shuddered.

“Connie, focus. How did you escape?” Jean demanded.

“I don’t remember too much. I went to get more beer-”

“You drank my beer too?!” Sasha ran back to her room.

“..I drank some beer. There was some shouting so I ran into the nearest room. I saw a key and locked myself in there.”

“I don’t know if that’s clever or stupid.” Jean admitted.

“It worked.” Connie shrugged his shoulders as he walked to his fridge. “I need some emergency ice cream.”

Connie let his hair down as he walked over to the fridge, smiling like he had just found an oasis in the desert after a long and perilous journey, only to have his face drop when he discovered it was all a mirage.

“Reiner took it.” Jean informed him, deciding to sit on the unoccupied futon with his soda.

“But that was _mine_!” Connie almost cried, yelping when another empty can of Pringles nailed him in the head.

“Just. Like. These. Were. Mine!” Sasha exclaimed, emphasizing each word with a different Pringles can, each hitting Connie and each with its own unique flavor. 

Connie tried to protect his head in vain, until Sasha finally ran out of ammunition. “This was different. I was locked in there.”

“I don’t care if you had the munchies, you don’t eat a girl’s food! So rude.”

“I’ll repay you. I swear!”

“How?”

“I’ll buy you all your Pringles and beer that I drank back!”

“With what money?” Jean interjected from the couch, earning an icy stare from his best friend. Connie had gotten pretty good at mimicking Jean’s expression.

“After I win the next tournament.”

Sasha sighed and collapsed in a chair, emotionally exhausted from her food ordeal. “I just wanted to come dorm, eat some chips, and nap. I’m going to go sleep this off.”

“Uh, Sash?” Marco treaded lightly, his friend’s eyes sharpening as he called her name. “I don’t know how to tell you this, but you need to find a place for the week.”

“What.”

“That’s what the cops said. They need to clean your dorm out because of the damage. And smell.”

The room went quiet as Sasha absorbed that information. Her exhausted demeanor stiffened and her mouth became tight lipped. She stood up slowly, everyone’s eyes following her mechanical movements, as she stopped in front of Connie. He froze as she gave a him a once over before walking past him. Spinning on her heels, she placed him in a headlock and started choking him. No talking, no shouting, just a calm and deliberate strangulation.

“Dor- to- sto-!” He gasped out.

She stopped long enough for him to say something. “Come again?”

“Doritos... Peace offering…” Connie panted. Once he recovered his breath he reiterated that. “Take my chips and my bed.”

“If you’re room smells like skunk…”

“It doesn’t, I swear!”

“Bullshit.” Jean laughed from the futon.

“Unlike Johnny boy, I keep my room clean if I ever bring a girl back.”

“Screw you, at least I got a girl.” Jean flipped him the bird.

“Mikasa doesn’t count. She’s like a robotic assassin. Eren’s gotten more action from you than her.”

Marco stared at Jean, who was turning increasingly red, but it was Eren who took action. Copying Sasha’s mechanical moves, he approached his roommate and promptly kicked him in the crotch with his left leg. Connie curled over from the pain, and Eren pushed him to the floor. He stepped over Connie and went to the fridge to pull out a beer and cracked it open, joining a still red Jean on the couch, not facing him at all.

“Now where was I?” Eren hummed, scratching his nose on the edge of his scar one last time before restarting his game.

\---

“One more time, pledges.” Reiner requested, casually flipping through some papers on his desk.

“Ackerman, Arlert, Kirschtein, Pixis, and Shadis.” The four students grumbled, even Jean was getting annoyed at repeating his last name.

“Correct! One more time.”

A round of groans caught his attention.

“Damn it, Reiner. Could we please learn something else?” Jean complained, the other three nodding in agreement.

Their teacher put his papers down and looked at his phone. “Well I was planning on doing that for another half an hour since you guys sped through the history pretty fast… I guess we could talk about Homecoming.”

Reiner smiled when he saw their bored looks faded away.

“Well two Sundays from now is the Homecoming dance with a sister sorority and you guys are, of course, invited. The girls already found a barn or something to hold it at so everything goes.”

“What does that mean?” Marlowe asked.

“Drinking, smoking, I don’t care. Don’t make an ass out or yourself and no one will report you or anything,” Reiner clarified.

“Also don’t piss off the girls. It took us two years of serenades and baked goods to get them to agree to this so if one of you fucks it up you’re out.” Samuel threatened, entering the study room from the hallway.

“El Presidente, to what do we owe this pleasure?”

“Come to the living room. Tim has his laptop hooked up for a treat.”

The men exchanged confused looks but all got up from their books and followed Samuel to the living room down stairs. The upperclassmen and brothers were all settled on the couch laughing, ignoring the big screen TV. Loaded on the television was Youtube, with some unknown video buffering.

**College Dorm Prank Succeeds and Fails** Jean read the title before glancing at the user. **ArmoredUp**

The four pledges squeezed onto the couch next to their future brothers and fidgeted impatiently until Samuel arrived back in the room.

“What’s this about?” Franz asked.

“Shut up and watch.”

Someone pressed play and Jean’s eyes widened. He recognized the doorway the shaky camera was trying to focus on. _The camera turned around and sooner Reiner came into view, going through ingredients with Eren. A cough caught his attention and Reiner shot the camera a cocky grin. “Sup, my bros! I have a treat for you all today. I’m going to prank one of my good friends with help from mini-me-”  
The camera panned to Eren who flashed a grin. “and our special guest, Colossus!” The video spun and Bert waved to the camera._

_“Hey, guys!”_

_Returning back to Reiner, he showed the flour and a bowl of water. He pointed out how the prank was supposed to work, where people were going to be ambushed, and most importantly, who the victim was. “I’m excited to do this because there’s no way he’s going to see this coming.”_

Jean shot an unimpressed scowl at Reiner, who was too lost in the video to notice. His brow furrowed as he focused on his video, hunched over on the arm of the sofa with his elbows resting on his knees. Not that Jean was able to notice, but Reiner’s eyes glanced through the video and picked it apart at errors only he was bound to notice. He began to frown until it was time for the prank to begin.

_Bertlholdt’s shushing quelled the noise and everyone took their places. Reiner hid in the kitchen with a bowl of water in his hand, Eren ducking behind his massive frame. Mumbling was heard as the lock on the door turned._

_“Ladies first.”_ Jean’s face soured at hearing his own voice.

_A black haired girl walked two steps into the dorm before Reiner came running at the door. “Got y-”_

_Water flew towards Mikasa, but she ducked and sent a her first into Reiner’s stomach, cutting off his speech and effortlessly knocking him to the ground._ The guys all cringed and some let ‘oohs’ in empathy.

_Being able to watch it from Bertl’s perspective allowed Jean to see Eren running from around the corner with flour in his hands. A white cloud covered part of the video, but Mikasa’s body could be seen ducking around the flour powder. “What the actual FUCK?!” Jean cursed as he pawed water and flour from his eyes._

Eren howled with laughter along with the rest of the fraternity at Jean’s look of absolute disgust. Even now he was not happy about the prank, but what was done was done. He kept his scowl as he watched the remainder of the video.

_Mikasa pinning Eren against the wall, Jean slipping on the water and falling onto Reiner, Connie discovering the mess, and finally Armin beating Eren repeatedly with a wooden spoon all got various reactions from the people watching the video. After it was all said and done, and Jean stormed off, the video panned back to Bertl and Reiner. Both were stifling laughter until they exited the dorm and they died cackling._

_“That was great. That was absolutely fantastic.” Reiner lost his composure and fell against the wall._

_“Is he going to be okay?” Bertl wondered in between breaths._

_“Give him a day and sure. That was a great idea,” Reiner gave the camera a thumbs up. “Anyways, thank you all for watching. Please like, subscribe, and comment below. Thanks Colossus for the idea and the help in making this. Peace!” Reiner threw up a peace sign and pushed it towards the camera until it blacked out._

The fraternity brothers all were laughing, some clutching their sides, as the video showed a slow motion Jean getting hit by water. His expression was priceless to all the people watching, except himself and Reiner, Jean buried his face in his hands while Reiner silently pondered something.

“And that is Brother Braun’s second life outside Sigma nu Kappa.” Samuel announced. “I wanted to show everyone this because it’s got around 3000 views and climbing. Congrats Reiner, your camera work is getting you somewhere!”

“3000?” Reiner echoed, moving around Sam to see the screen. His face lit up and he threw a fist in the air, triumphantly pumping it up and down. “I gotta call Bertl. He needs to know.”

“Who do you think told me about this?”

“Uh, I thought you watched my videos.”

“…yes,” Sam awkwardly admitted. Reiner glared a little at him but he kept talking. “But Bertholdt told me to specifically look at this. Congrats. For all brothers who succeed at activities and such, they will be recognized by us, because that’s what we do.”

Reiner basked in the praise for a few minutes before excusing himself, while the brothers hit replay. Jean followed Reiner’s example and walked to the kitchen for a glass of water, not bothering to acknowledge who was following him. Grabbing a glass from one of the many cabinets in the aging room, he went to the sink and began filling the cup at the sink.

“So ‘Kasa wanted me to ask if you were still up for dinner on Wednesday.” Eren made himself known, leaning on the doorway. Jean turned off the faucet and faced him.

“Wednesday is the dinner? Shit,” Jean cursed.

Eren narrowed his eyes, looking rather annoyed at jean’s forgetfulness. “Yes. It’s your damn anniversary, how do you not remember that?”

“I didn’t forget, jackass. I thought we were doing it Friday or Saturday once classes were done. I got a dinner speech to go to for my dad.” Jean gulped down some water. Eren pinched his nose, right above his scar, and let out a deep breath.

“It’s always science with your family. What’s it about? A new magical cure?”

Sarcasm filled Eren’s question, earning him a scowl from Jean. “No, just something that could point us in the right direction. I’ll tell Mikasa and work it out.”

“You’re seeing the wrong Ackerman on your anniversary. Jesus, I thought I had commitment problems.”

“You’re the one ditching your tutoring with Armin.”

“What does that have to do with any of this?”

“Commitment problems. The make-up test is Thursday.” Jean informed his forgetful friend. Eren’s face hardened, clearly not appreciating being berated by Jean.

“I’m doing fine, thank you.” His voice bitter, but all Eren from Jean received was a scowl.

Jean finished his water and left the glass in the sink. “Whatever you say, Jaeger. Don’t come bitching to me when daddy rips you a new one.”

The air in the kitchen froze when Jean realized what he said. A chill ran down Jean’s spine as Eren’s face registered a look of shock. Mentally slapping himself, Jean moved towards the door, ignoring the silent Jaeger. He mumbled an apology and left for the living room. Eren remained in the kitchen, but Jean could hear a whimper as he walked away.

\---

Clouds covered the sky Wednesday morning, not letting any sunlight break through its blanket that sprawled over the campus and Sina. While not one to believe in ominous signs, Jean could not help but feel nervous the entirety of the day. He spoke with Mikasa about the dinner and she proved more understanding than Eren did during the fraternity conversation. Jean could hear the disappointment in her voice but the promise of dinner of Saturday more than made up for it.

As for Eren, Jean only saw him in class. He refused to speak to Jean since Sunday and managed to successfully keep away from the dorm. If there was a chance to do something outside hanging with his roommates, Eren found it. He joined a club in two days, at Sasha’s insistence, and volunteered to help Reiner with any task he requested.

Living with a new roommate also proved interesting, if not challenging, to the dorm of four. Sasha took over Connie’s room and loaded the bathroom with her stuff. The amount of all natural stuff Jean ran across caught him off guard, but it was hilarious when he realized that Sasha and Connie used the same hair product. He only learned that when he caught them fighting over whose was whose one evening. Neither won that argument and it ended with Connie’s door being shut in his face.

“Women. Can you believe them?” Connie declared to Jean, completely exasperated. Jean chuckled at Connie’s pain since he had no one to blame but himself for smoking Sasha out of her room.

One redeeming perk from Sasha being in the room was that she had a schedule completely opposite of the guys so she was normally gone and used the bathroom at ungodly hours. It explained why Jean never met her before the incident. She got along well enough with everyone when she was home, but she and Eren talked the most. Jean guessed that why Eren joined the Diversity Initiative Collective after an evening over food.

Jean clipped his tie to his dress shirt, fussing with his hair a little bit, and giving up before exiting his room. He flattened what little wrinkles in his slacks that he could as he walked through the living room. Snoring bounced off the walls of the dorm, grating Jean’s nerves but this was routine. Camped out on the futon under a mound of blankets was Connie, hair strewn about and limps in all directions. Jean left him in peace and exited the dorm, heading straight for the University Hospital to meet his father.

As Jean walked across the quad he recognized Armin chatting with a tall blond man. Armin was dressed in a button down like Jean, except he was sporting a blue bowtie that matched his blue eyes. The giant man he was talking to had short blond hair parted back in a formal manner, and thick eyes brows that matched Armin’s. If Jean hadn’t known Armin’s parents as a child, he could easily have mistaken the bigger man as Armin’s father. Seeing that they were lost in conversation, Jean ignored them and kept on his way to see his father.

He found his dad talking in front of the hospital to a man with greying hair, parted in the center with an undercut all around it. His face was had wrinkles in a few places near his eyes and mouth, but Jean chalked them up to laughter lines since the man was lost in a humorous conversation with his father. When his dad noticed him, he dismissed the greying man. “See you at the speech, B.”

“Who was that?” Jean skipped the normal pleasantries.

“A colleague of Dr. Ackerman’s and mine. Very talented man, too bad he lives in the shadow of Levi.”

“That’s not a very long shadow.” Jean and his father shared a laugh before walking into the building.

“Thanks for coming early, I’d like to show you the lab before the presentation but Nana let a mouse loose and is trying to catch it so all doors are staying closed.”

“What’s so special about the mouse?”

“It’s one of the ones with the Reiss medicine. It’s worth about 10,000 if it dies and a heck of a lot more if it continues doing well.”

Jean froze, a smile creeping onto his face. “It’s still going well?”

“It just started so don’t get too happy. But yes its coming along.”

“Great.” Jean smiled as they walked through the hospital. 

Memories of running around the giant building as a kid flooded his thoughts and kept him happy. His father had been working for the University since before Jean was born and it only made sense that he was born within the walls. He had played hide and seek, tag, and many other obnoxious games with his father and some of the security as a kid, but that felt like another lifetime walking down the halls as a college student. A few doctors Jean did not know said hello, clearly recalling who he was. It only served to remind him his childhood was spent in these walls as much as they were spent in his house.

\---

His father rambled on about the lab, the various ongoing experiments, and small stories from the past few weeks that Jean had not heard since moving to campus. Something someone he didn’t know blew up or someone else he ran into as a child commenting on how grown up he had become. Even with the hospital serving as a second house of sorts, Jean still felt uncomfortable being in the sterile environment longer than necessary. Hospitals had both positive and negative purposes and unfortunately he was familiar with both.

“Ok, the presentation should be starting soon. Better Head down now if we want the good seats.” Jean’s father glanced at his watch.

While going down the stairs, Jean felt a vibration in his pocket. He pulled out his phone and found a message from his roommate.

_Armin_   
**Hey, I have to tutor Eren so I can’t make it. Please take notes for me!**

_Jean_   
**Will do**

Jean stared at his phone’s battery and figured he could do one better for his friend. Armin had saved his ass on more than one occasion with notes and this would be the best excuse to repay him. Although he looked forward to finally paying his friend back or the calculus test disaster of freshman year, he was surprised that Armin would miss such an important lecture for tutoring when there were plenty of other times him and Eren had planned.

\---

Bright lights lit up the auditorium and highlighted how bland the room was with minimalistic decorations. There was a table set in the back with desserts and drinks, while round tables dotted the room in a less than predictable pattern. His father guided him towards one of the front rows, his table near the stage. On stage a technician was fiddling with a laptop and performing a sounds check.

Taking a seat at the table, Jean was handed a glass with a bubbly yellow liquid. He sniffed it and realized that it was not Mountain Dew, but Champagne. He gave his dad a confused look but his father dismissed his concerns by waving his hand. “My treat for today. No one is going to care.”

“Whatever you say, father.” Jean shrugged as he took a sip, enjoying the taste more than he cared to admit.

The table was filling up with other doctors finding their name tags. A familiar face appeared in the bunch and he gave Jean a warm greeting.

“Hello, Jean,” Dr. Zacharius offered his hand. Jean took it.

“Dr. Z.”

“Ah, you remember Mike. Finally someone I don’t have to explain.” Jean’s father slapped Dr. Zacharius on the back.

Jean shook his head and drank some more. “No, he’s unforgettable.”

Mike wiggled his nose and took a sniff. “You’re a bit young for Chardonnay, aren’t ya?”

“For what?”

“That.” Mike pointed to his drink. Jean looked from his glass to the tall doctor and back to his glass, turning slightly red. “Just teasing, you’re in good company.”

“Don’t tease him too much Mike, he might be your problem soon.” Dr. Kirschtein advised, a devilish grin appearing on his face.

“Oh, why is that?” Mike quirked an eyebrow, as he sat next to Jean.

“He might be interning in our lab.”

“That is interesting.”

Rather than continue the conversation, another man sat at the table by Dr. Zacharius. Jean could recognize those eyebrows anywhere. That was the man who was talking to Armin earlier. Mike seemed a bit surprised by the man joining them.

“Erwin? What brings you here?” Dr. Zacharius asked.

“I heard there was an interesting presentation going on.” The new man, Erwin, informed the good doctor.

“Seems like word is getting around.” Jean’s father laughed. 

“Armin invited me to replace him. Also to explain to Dr. Ackerman why he was unable to arrive.” Bushy brows explained.

“Oh, that’s why he was chatting with you on campus,” Jean thought aloud, catching the attention of the imposing man. He reminded Jean of Reiner since it was clear to see the muscles under his shirt, but he had Levi’s piercing gaze. That face faded when he let out a gentle smile.

“Is this your son, Dr. Kirschtein?”

“Yes. Jean this is Erwin Smith. You might recognize him as the Dean of the Kirschtein College of Science.”

“A pleasure, Jean.” Erwin nodded slightly, carefully observing the kid. “You know Armin, I presume?”

“Yeah, he’s my roommate.” Jean answered, trying not be intimidated by the man.

“I see.”

Before more words could be exchanged, a familiar sound echoed around the auditorium. Jean shuddered as the rhythmic tapping grew closer until it stopped next to his table. Levi looked over the group of men, a brief look of surprise appeared on his face when he saw Jean, but he quickly returned to his normal bored look. He took a seat and rested his cane against the table.

“Dr. Zacharius, Dr. Smith, Jean, Dr. Kirschstein,“ Levi greeted, his voice souring when he mentioned the father-son duo. “To what do I owe this surprise, Dr. Smith?”

“You can drop the formality, Levi. We aren’t at work right now.” Erwin’s lips curled into a sly smile.

“Thank goodness. Being professional in front of those shitty brats is hard enough.” Levi spat, taking his glass of Chardonnay in hand. He shot a sideways glare at Jean but remained silent.

“I’m here because Armin was unable to attend. He sends his apologies.”

“He’s tutoring Eren.” Jean supplied the reasoning, turning a few heads at the table. He began to sweat under the cold gaze of Levi and the indifferent look of Dr. Smith, but Levi shrugged and Dr. Smith nodded.

“Fair enough,” Levi ignored Jean’s dad as two more people came to fill out the table.

The greying man with the undercut from earlier sat next to Levi while a younger woman with blonde hair and blue eyes sat between Jean’s father and the greying man. While Jean did not know the man, he recognized the woman and greeted her with a warm smile.

“Hi, Petra,” Jean waved. The woman squinted at him for a second before a wide smile appeared on her face.

“Jean, is that you? Oh my God, you’ve grown!” Her eyes sparkled with nostalgia, Jean remembering how she used to play with him in his dad’s lab.

Jean’s gaze glanced at her hospital id and his scowl faded. “Dr. Ral? Congrats.”

“I wasn’t just being a babysitter. I got my PhD and, well, him.” Petra pointed to the greying man, who gave an awkward smile. “This is Oluo, my husband and assistant.”

“Assistant?” The man scoffed at the proposition. “She is my wife and _colleague_. Dr. Bozado at your service.”

Before the introductions could continue, a young woman skipped onto the stage and tapped the mike several times, hushing the room.

“Thank you all for being here today. It’s my pleasure to introduce what could very well be the next step in the field of Stem Cell research, and I dare even say a future Nobel laureate. I present to everyone, Dr. Zoe!” The ecstatic woman greeted.

Onto the stage walked someone that caught much of the room off-guard. The scientist, Dr. Zoe, walked across the stage in boots and slacks, clacking as they made excited steps towards the microphone. Dr. Zoe’s chestnut hair was long and pulled back into a bun, held in place by what looked like a variety of colorful pens. The doctor wore an unbuttoned lab coat that fluttered in the air during their brisk walk, revealing a loose button down shirt, untucked and two sizes too big. Completing Dr. Zoe’s ensemble was a pair of goggles pulled over their eyes, but doing nothing to hide the fiery look within their eyes.

“Hello, Sina!” Dr. Zoe greeted the room of doctors like a rock star, killing any air of professionalism that anyone assumed the presenter had. Jean quickly pulled out his phone and pressed the record button on his camera setting, placing the device next to his glass.

A few heads in the room turned and murmured towards each other, including at the table.

“Is that a boy or a girl?” Jean’s father whispered towards Mike, who could only shrug. Jean glanced at Levi who actually had an astonished look on his face. His scowl was gone and his lips leveled out, much to Jean’s surprise. Erwin Smith also seemed to take notice, but did not bother anyone.

“Before I start I would like to say that what I am about to show is new and still being researched, hence why it is not in any publication yet. But if you’d like more information about my research just find me after my powerpoint. I’d love to meet some of the best doctors this nation has to offer.”

\---

Despite the casual and seemingly rough beginning, Dr. Zoe delivered a presentation unlike anything Jean had ever seen. Their exaggerated movements mirrored the doctor’s excitement in the progress they were making in developing new methods to not only clone stem cells, but also the possibility of growing organs and so much more. It was the potential applications of the research that seemed to pique everyone’s interest.

“Embryonic stem cells? No longer needed. Want an organ that won’t reject the donor? We can do that. Need skin to help a burn victim, possible but time is needed to grow these things of course,” Dr. Zoe announced like she was the spokesman for an infomercial. “The point I want to make is that new medical applications will be possible based off of this research. Any questions?”

Scores of doctor’s raised their hands, even Jean’s father seemed greatly interested. However, when Levi’s hand went up, some side conversations ceased and Dr. Zoe either had great intuition or psychic powers because they called on the crippled man.

“What potential does your research other in the field of therapeutic for treatment of people with cellular or degenerative diseases such as Titan?” 

Dr. Zoe registered a blank look for a second before rubbing their chin and walking back and forth. Jean’s father lowered his hand, and frowned at the question. Based on his dad’s reaction, Jean guessed Levi asked his question first.

“That’s a good question. While the target of the research has been to replace what has been lost, such as tissue and organs, attempting to deal with progressive diseases has never crossed my mind.” The good doctor admitted. “I’ll have to get back to you on that but I might have several hypotheses once I do more research.”

Content with the answer, Levi nodded and remained in his seat. 

“I’m not sure about attacking the disease but it could be possible to make end of life treatment better,” Jean’s father spoke out loud, catching the attention of Dr. Zoe and the others. “Titan specifically erodes motor functions and some patients go through organ failure so this could possibly extend the life of patients or even restore basic organ functions for those condemned to organ donor wait lists.”

“True, but that’s only a temporary fix, if my knowledge of the disease is correct. I apologize since Titan is not my expertise but I’m interested in learning more.” Dr. Zoe spoke as they walked back to the microphone stand, taking the next question.

It was impossible for Jean not to feel the icy glare that Levi was shooting towards his father.

\---

It was moments like the walk back to the dorm that Jean was glad he had no music on his phone, because he realized his phone memory was shot to hell along with his battery. The journey home was quiet but at least he got the entire presentation, plus questions on tape for Armin.

He made it to the door to his dorm and he fumbled through his pocket for keys. As he unlocked the dorm, footsteps echoed behind him and caught his attention. Turning around, he found Armin carrying a pot of soup, still in his bacon print apron and wearing his usual minimal clothing. Unlike his normally calm appearance, his lips were pressed into a tight line and his hair was more than a little frazzled.

Holding the door open for his roommate, Jean waited for Armin to enter before following after. His eyes glanced down for a split second and he found himself wondering how many short shorts his friend had. At least he could pull off bright green shorts.

Armin set the pot down on the counter, the smell of meat and veggies permeating the apartment. Soon the cultures would come out to feast, yet Armin remained tense. It showed in his mechanical stride and constant sighing. Eventually Jean too the bait and sat on a chair.

“You missed a good presentation.” He played with a crumb on the table, carefully gauging Armin’s reaction. His roommate responded by slumping his shoulders.

“Was it?” That was not the response Jean expected. “Did you take notes for me?”

“Yeah it was good. And I did you one better,” Armin turned towards jean, perplexed by the statement. Jean pulled out his phone and laid it on the table. “I got it all on film. Video quality might be bad but audio should be good.”

A small smile crept onto Armin’s face, Jean’s phone providing the oil needed to remove the rust from Armin’s mechanical movements. He relaxed and grabbed a ladle to serve the soup.

“Thanks,” he mumbled, almost too soft for Jean to hear.

“No problem, how was tutoring Jaeger?”

The ladle fell into the pot with a loud clang, startling Jean. Just as quick as he had relaxed, Armin reverted back to his pained movements. “He didn’t show.”

“Oh.”

Suddenly the reasoning for Armin’s foul mood became clear to Jean, just as the aforementioned vultures made their appearance. Sasha, Connie, and Eren emerged from their rooms, or the futon in the case of Mr. Man-bun. The sighting of Eren and the others prompted Armin to finish placing the soup in their bowls, but he took his time in seasoning each bowl. Everyone joined Jean at the table, impatiently waiting for their food. Even Sasha joined their dorm dinners.

“How did the nerd talk go?” Eren tried to engage Jean, catching him by surprise. Why was Jaeger trying to talk to him?

“It was very informative and interesting. It was a shame for anyone who had to miss it.” Jean cautiously eyed Armin, who stiffened again. His roommate remained frozen as salt poured into a bowl.

“It’s a shame you had to miss your _anniversary_ ,” Eren taunted, trying to get a rise out of Jean. If not for the fact he had already spoken to Mikasa about it, Jean might’ve attacked Eren but he knew better at this point. Unlucky for Jaeger, Jean knew how to get back at him.

“Yeah, it’s a shame about _missing a commitment_ ,” he stared at Armin, who was still adding salt to the same bowl. Eren did not take notice of Jean’s sideways glances. “But we’ll be going for food this weekend and probably a movie. It’s going to be a good time.”

“Sounds fun,” Sasha commented as Armin brought the food over. She took a giant whiff of her bowl before diving in. “Hot! But tasty. Thanks Armin!”

“What she said,” Connie seconded as he dove in with equal eagerness. Jean and Eren received their bowls and Armin sat across from his childhood friend.

“What did you do this afternoon?” Jean continued his plan.

“Helped Reiner buy more stuff for Homecoming. It’s going to be kickass!” Eren grinned as he took a bite of soup. His cheeks tightened around his spoon and he gagged on his soup. “Armin, how much salt did you put in this?”

“Dunno.” Armin peacefully ate his soup, not so much as looking at Eren. It took a second but Eren soon realized something was off about his friend.

“Are- are you mad at me?” Eren turned his head, puzzled by his friend’s demeanor.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Still not facing Eren.

“What did I do?”

Armin dropped his spoon in his bowl and immediately glared at Eren, his irritation reddening his face. “Seriously? You have no idea?”

“What are you talking about?”

“You ditched my tutoring, again.”

“Sorry, it was for a good cause.”

“A good cause? You went shopping!”

“For-“

“I don’t give a damn what for!” Armin shouted, silencing the room.

_Did he just curse?_ Jean wondered.

“I missed a very important event today so I could help you study for a test, at your request! I waited in the library for an hour and you didn’t even so much as text me.”

“I’m-“

“Don’t say you’re sorry because you’re not freakin’ sorry! I set aside time and things for you but this _always_ happens. No more tutoring, no more favors, I’m done.” Armin was breathing heavily as he pushed the bowl away from him, his appetite dying after that exchange.

“I didn’t think you’d be this salty about it.” Eren seemed dismayed by his closest friend’s outburst.

“I’m saltier than your damn soup! Of course you never think of anyone beside yourself,” Armin stood up and pushed his chair in. He stormed off towards his room. Eren tried to go after him but Armin yelled back at him. “Leave me alone, Eren!”

An awkward silence fell over the room after Armin’s run off. Jean was not expecting that kind of reaction, but Eren’s face painted an entirely different story of emotions. He actually looked hurt by what Armin said. Even Jean had never been able to get that kind of reaction out of Jaeger before. Rather than stew in the awkwardness any longer, Jean finished his food and retreated to his room. A few coughs were heard behind him but that was the least of his problems.

\---

Even in the solace of his own room, Jean was unable to find peace from the shitstorm outside his room. Curses could be heard outside, but they were not Armin and Eren. Instead they were between the other male and female residents of the dorm. With no sign of calming down, he threw his hand up in the air and stomped outside his room.

His anger deflated once he found the two of them playing Mariokart on the Nintendo. He would’ve expected Connie to be cursing because of the power-ups but his friend was actually not wining.

“Damn you woman. When did you even drop that banana?” Connie grumbled.

“When I was busy lapping you.” Sasha teased, earning another string of curses from Jean’s childhood friend.

This friendly banter continued until a loud knock caught their attention. Due to his lack of participation, Jean walked to the door to find who was knocking at such a late hour on a Wednesday. Standing behind the door was the last person Jean expected to see at such an hour, his TA.

“Uh, hello, Bodt.” Jean greeted.

“Hey, Kirschtein,” Marco returned the curt hello.

“What brings you here? Reminding us to be in class tomorrow?”

“Not exactly, I’m here for Sasha.”

“Oh, that’s me!” She declared from across the room. “Whats up, Marco?”

“You can move back into your room now.”

Jean and Sasha exchanged perplexed expressions and turned to face their friend.

“Uh, thanks for telling me but you could’ve told me over text.” Sasha gave her friend a weird smile.

“Why do you even know this?” Jean asked the important question.

“Yeah, how do you know?” Connie spoke up.

“Well, I’m your new roommate and I told the office I would tell you.” Marco smiled.

“Oh, sweet! No more weed!” Sasha embraced her friend. Jean gave a small smile at the happy sight but then realization hit him like a pile of bricks.

“Wait, if you’re her roommate then that makes you…”

“The RA of 5th floor of Stohess Hall.” Marco completed the sentence.

That Jean did not expect, but then again he had not expected Armin to blow up on Eren so today was just full of surprises for everyone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And like last time this ended up being longer than I intended. I was going to get Homecoming in here but that will be a fun arc for next time. 
> 
> As always, I hope you guys enjoyed the story, feel free to leave a kudos or a comment, or bother me on tumblr! Writing Connie and Sasha during this chapter might have been my favorite thing.


	10. Kiss the Girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Jean fights half his anatomy class and Connie think he's Sebastian from the Little Mermaid. He also continues to make bad choices and one day he will learn to stop doing those. Hopefully...

“What the hell Connie?” Jean stated to his friend lying on the futon, annoyance evident in his tone.

Connie rolled his head back, his hair cascading over the futon. From that angle Jean could not tell if Connie’s expression was one of confusion or constipation. “What did I do?”

Jean’s nose gave an obnoxious sniff, hinting at the problem. “I know you can smell _that_.”

“What? I just showered... two days ago?”

Jean ignored how his best friend was questioning himself and moved right to his point. “The weed. It’s only been week and you’re smoking in our dorm now. I thought you’d know better.”

“Hey, don’t look at me. My stash got flushed down the toilet.”

“What?”

“Sasha found it and took care of it. It was part of our agreement.”

“Agreement about what?” Now Jean was starting to get confused.

“Well it was either I buy all her food and beer back, plus feel her wrath or face the music and lose my pot.”

“Isn’t pot worth a lot?”

Connie flipped around on the couch to properly face his friend. He pulled his hair back into its normal bun and crossed his arms, giving Jean and incredulous look. “While I know the economics of marijuana and her friends are not your forte, I’ll have you know that what little I had left was nowhere near what I owe Pringles girl.”

“Is that name going to stick? And how much did you eat?” Jean’s scowl deepened as he tried to imagine how many Pringles and beer Connie had to go through.

“Enough.”

Rather than continue answering Jean’s question, Connie return to the television and started gaming on the old Nintendo console. Jean walked to the fridge to find something to drink, and to his surprise most of the beer had disappeared. Eren did not fulfill his promise to have cans removed by Monday, but he was making work. There were still cans the previous night because Jean had to dig through them to find his Pepsi. Now there were none.

He pulled out his drink and joined Connie on the futon. He scanned Connie for any signs of a hangover but there were none. “Looking for something?”

Jean jumped slightly at his friend’s sudden question. Connie snickered as Jean’s scowl hardened. “No. I’m wondering what happened to all the beer in the fridge.”

“Eren happened.”

“Oh please tell me he didn’t.”

“He did.”

“But the make-up quiz is today.”

“Oh yeah, that. Probably should cram for that.” Connie paused his game and saved.

“That dumbass smoked and drank? Levi is going to kill him.” Jean cringed, imagining his professor’s reaction. While Jean and Eren had their constant disagreements, a perpetually pissed professor was a fate he wish upon no man.

“He only drank the beer.”

The conversation pulled a complete turnaround, and now Jean was giving Connie a quizzical look. Rather than supply his friend with an answer, Connie merely grinned and left for his room to attempt to save his grade.

\---

For the first time since Jean moved in, their dorm did not leave for the lab together. Armin had been out of the dorm the entire day while Eren was unable to be found. Jean and Connie exchanged their usual banter until they arrived to class early. Armin was already in the front by their usual place, notebook opened and papers scattered. His two friends sat on either side of him and kept their mouths shut. Armin barely noticed them until Connie cleared his throat.

“So. Do you have to take the quiz?” Connie wondered, bringing Armin’s nose out of his notes. He shrugged before returning to his papers.

“I don’t know. Maybe. If its extra credit I’ll do it.” Armin mumbled.

Being as delicate as a bull in a china shop, Jean asked the question that had been eating at him all morning. “Have you talked to Jaeger since last night?”

Armin briefly froze but did not make eye contact. “Nope.”

Even though he was averting Jean’s gaze, Jean could tell his eyes had circles underneath them and were slightly red.

The conversation died there as more students began to fill the lecture hall. Students took their places, none in the back, as Marco and Levi entered. Their TA was carrying a stack of papers that looked more like a test than a quiz, while Levi followed on his cane. The clacking effectively silenced all conversations, even though class still had yet to begin.

Levi peered over the room, his eyes landing on the front row where his favorite students were staring ahead silently. He raised an eyebrow at the missing Eren but did not approach the group. He walked back towards his TA and whispered something to him.

Right as Levi was about to begin, the doors in the back opened and a student stumbled down the aisle, wearing sunglasses and a familiar dark green beanie. Jean stared as the person made their way towards their table, before his eyes saw the red scarf and realized who it was. _Oh shit, Jaeger._

Eren plopped down next to Jean and went head first onto the table. Jean went to remove his green beanie but was greeted by a growl so he pulled his hand back. Marco cast a worried look towards Jean, who did his best not to react as Levi stared at the almost tardy student. Instead of calling him out in front of the whole class, Levi walked over to Jean and friends. His cane echoed louder than normal, each sound causing Eren to flinch.

Their professor stopped right in them, his bored look darkening. Jean did not know if it was the lighting but Levi’s face was definitely scarier than his normal gaze. Rather than address Eren, Levi simply ripped the beanie off his head, earning a whine. “Jaeger, what are my class rules?”

“Dishes cleaned after every meal, countertop must be spotless…” Eren talked into his desk, not facing the man staring daggers at him.

“I said class rules, not kitchen rules. No beanies, no sunglasses-” Levi paused to rip them off Eren’s face, unaffected by the teen’s hissing.

“He really did drink all the beer.” Jean dared to whisper to Connie, knowing full well Armin could hear him. The blond finally looked up from his papers and finally registered how shitty Eren looked. Rather than look concerned, he frowned and returned to his paper. Jean’s was mildly surprised, but he still focused on the man lecturing his roommate.

“And I demand your full attention.” Levi was practically seething as Eren lazily pulled his head up from the table. He was squinting forward, passed the professor. He looked for Armin briefly but stopped when he saw the kid was ignoring him. Levi slammed his cane down and glared at him. “Stay after class.”

Eren whimpered a little, but Levi was having none of it.

\---

Rough. That was the one adjective that kept bouncing around Jean’s brain as he scrambled through the quiz. While Marco’s tutoring had been helpful and some of the questions were easy to solve as a result, Levi was kind enough to make a bunch of new questions over sections Jean did not think were quizzable. The only saving grace to the test was the fact it was all extra credit for the last test so at least he couldn’t lose too many points. His grade was going to be the word that kept bugging his thoughts. Rough.

If he was struggling this much with the work, he had no idea how Connie or Eren were holding up. He had no fear for Armin. Risking being seen by either Levi or Marco, Jean stole a glance to his left and saw Armin writing away, his expression slightly frustrated as he penned his thoughts to paper. Jean faced his other two friends and that went about as well as he expected. Connie’s laid back attitude vanished and he was concentrating _hard_ on the quiz, almost at Armin’s level. Jaeger on the other hand, was writing slowly and he seemed to care more about his hangover than for the quiz.

After breaking his focus to get a status check on his friends, a rhythmic tapping caught Jean’s attention. His eyes bounced around the room and found Professor Ackerman staring in his direction, one shoe bouncing at a steady pace. Even though he was looking at Jean, his eagle eyes were trained on Eren. His face had a scowl that could give Jean’s a run for his money.

Finishing the quiz as best he could, he put his mechanical pencil down and sighed. Armin remained in his seat like Jean, per Levi’s instructions, and focused on reading the next chapter of the class for the following week. Despite being done with the test, he still had a furrowed brow. Why was he still angry?

“Time,” Levi declared, cueing numerous pencil hitting their respective desks. People began packing their belongings but they were cut off. “Before you brats run off, I have a quick announcement. Actually my lab assistants have an announcement.”

Two people Jean recognized walked down the aisle in formal attire but covered their shirts and slacks with the white lab coats the University Hospital provided. A small smile appeared when Dr. Ral and Dr. Bozado took their places at the front, Jean’s old babysitter winking in his direction. Most the class seemed unfazed by this guest appearance, except their TA. Marco sat up in his seat and shot a curious glance towards the lab assistants. 

“It has been a while since I’ve stepped into an anatomy class,” Dr. Ral commented to herself, just loud enough the front row could hear. “Anyways, my name is Petra Ral and this is my husband Oluo Bozado. We do research in the hospital under Dr. Ackerman-”

“Levi-” he corrected.

“Dr. Levi Ackerman,” Petra countered, smiling at his look of disgust. “We’re here to announce an opening for an intern. Normally we do this on a semester to semester basis, but with our research taking off we could use another set of eyes around the lab.”

While most students remained bored and counting down the clock, there were a few audible gasps and some very interested looks. Jean maintained his neutral expression but noted how Armin’s anger seemed to fade and Marco’s eyes widened. Connie and Eren both just seemed exhausted.

“This is a fantastic opportunity,” Oluo grinned, pulling his hands out of his coat pockets. “We are one of the top labs in the hospital so this is not a chance to miss. You can work for one of the foremost labs in our field and we have one of the smartest minds leading it.”

That generated more buzz than before, and both doctors smiled at the genuine interest. If they couldn’t find people interested in the subject matter, they could always explain how a great lab looked on a resume.

“Any questions?” Petra asked.

There were some of the usual questions such as when the deadline to apply was and how many hours the internship would be. The most important question seemed to be if it was paid or not. To Jean’s surprise, Thomas raised a hand.

“What does your lab research?” Wagner inquired.

The smiles on the doctors’ faces fell a little and they stared at each other a before Petra answered. “We specialize in researching treatments for people who suffer from Titan.”

Any excitement that was in the room dulled once that was announced.

“Titan isn’t treatable.” Thomas scoffed, not even phrasing that as a question. “It’s a death sentence.”

“That’s a common misconception…” Petra began before another student interrupted.

“Do you guys interact with the disease?”

“Of course, that’s how-“

“So you’ve touched Titan?” Another panicked.

“Yes in mice.” Petra finally answered, but the students were already riled up.

Loud murmuring made any more questions impossible to hear, and both doctors exchanged worried looks. Levi stood to silence the room, but Thomas took to shouting again.

“You guys probably have Titan then!” he accused.

“What? Preposterous,” Dr. Bozado was aghast at such a thought. “That’s not how-”

“Are you trying to kill us?!” Another girl overreacted.

Jean was starting to grind his teeth, as all the people around him were shouting more ridiculous things.

“Why even waste good research money on Titan? No one’s been able to do anything about it.” Someone pointed out.

“Yeah, the people with it are screwed.”

“I heard they are deformed and give it to you just by looking at ya.”

Armin remained quiet, stupefied by what he was hearing. Connie kept glancing at Jean, sweating a little bit. Eren was covering his ears from all the noise, shaking from the commotion. Marco glanced at his professor who seemed disgusted with what he was hearing.

“You’re trying to kill us, Levi.” Thomas stared coldly at the man.

Nobody was getting any bonus points after this outburst, but Thomas managed to push at least one person to their breaking point. Jean slammed his hands on the desk and turned to face his old friend, infuriated by the inaccurate information.

“Thomas, will you shut the fuck up?!” he managed to successfully quiet the room, turning to face the auditorium. “Do you know anything about Titan? Anything?”

“I heard-” Thomas started.

“You heard wrong. Titan isn’t contagious, it isn’t untreatable, and it certainly won’t kill you if you research it.”

“I read on the internet-”

“That vaccines cause Autism? Titan is genetic, you arrogant asshole.” Jean shouted, shaking from anger. His friends remained completely silent as he went off, knowing better than to interrupt a furious Kirschtein. “You won’t get shit from touching someone with it, or even if they stare at you.”

“But their eye.”

“Angel’s eye is a symptom of disease attacking the retinal tissue.” Dr. Ral interrupted. “It causes no harm to anyone.”

“How do you know it’s genetic? What makes you an expert, Kirschtein?” Thomas shouted back, somehow finding courage stare Jean down.

Jean’s scowl drew deeper as he focused his eyes on Wagner. Thomas calling Jean by his last name was meant to be a threat, but after dealing with Levi and Eren for so long, he was used to it. He was enraged and nothing would hold him back from his tirade. “Because my grandfather helped discover the cause of it. The college of science isn’t named after him because he donated a shit ton of money, jackass.”

“But-”

“No buts, Wagner. There is over _40 years_ of research backing those findings, and most of them came from here. And if you all want a good lab to research under, Dr. Ackerman’s is a damn good one because his uncle also helped discover the disease being genetic. And if any of you cite a goddamn internet article over that much research, I’m sorry but you’re a fucking idiot.”

Still fuming with anger, Jean threw his stuff in his backpack and marched out of the room. Silence was left in his wake, not that he cared. He stomped over to the vending machine because he really wanted a drink after that, and his emergency wine was not around. He fumbled as he got change out of his pocket, cursing as it fell over the floor. Eventually he recovered enough change to get a Coke out of the machine, and he enjoyed twisting off the cap to get the refreshing liquid. To hell with his health, he was not in the mood.

If not for the fact he had to work with Armin, he might’ve just gone straight to the library but he couldn’t leave his coworker and occasional confidant behind. He sat on the chair Armin normally occupied after a test, and almost jumped when someone pat his head. He turned around to see Dr. Ral and Dr. Bozado smiling.

“That was impressive, little man,” Petra congratulated. Jean let out a huff of air, trying but failing to not smile at his old nickname. “I think you even surprised Levi.”

“That’ll be the day.” Jean rolled his eyes.

“Seriously, that was a big help.”

“That was also a colorful defense, if I ever saw one.” Oluo rubbed his chin, still grinning. “Levi would be proud of that point alone.”

“Yeah, that’s true.” Petra chuckled at the inside joke, not bothering to explain that to Jean.

The class funneled out behind them, the students either avoiding Jean’s gaze or frowning at him. He saw a few thumbs up but most chose to ignore him. Eventually his roommates appeared, including Eren to Jean’s complete surprise. “Levi didn’t maim you?”

“He said we’d talk later,” Eren grumbled, not very happy about the thought.

Connie punched Jean in the shoulder and was cackling. “Dude, I don’t think I’ve ever heard you shout like that since the jockstrap incident in high school.”

“Yeah well, Thomas had it coming both times.” Jean spat. Armin chuckled and it was now the doctors’ turn to be confused by an inside joke.

A rhythmic clacking ended anymore pleasantries as Levi came into view of the group, focused on his coworkers. He stopped in front of everyone and nodded at his assistants. “Thank you for talking to the students, I’m sorry they’re such shitty brats.”

“It’s part of the field. We knew that when we joined your lab,” Dr. Bozado waved his hand in front of his face. “Besides, it ended up being as entertaining as talking with the Board of Directors about our research. Dr. Kirschtein was equally passionate for that… speech. Like father like son.”

“Indeed,” Levi glanced at Jean finally. “Eloquent defense. I’m sure your father would’ve liked to see that. I’m _almost_ tempted to give you the internship on the spot. Have a good weekend, Jean.”

With that, Levi walked away with his two doctor’s tailing him.

The group of four was dumbstruck. Jean’s mouth was hanging open from what he heard.

“Did he just call you Jean?” Eren noticed.

“Did he just give me a compliment?!” Jean questioned, clearly astonished by what he heard.

\---

After the spectacle that was anatomy and physiology class and another boring shift at the library, Jean really wanted to sleep and wake up to the weekend. Mikasa and he had plans to enjoy each other’s company on Saturday, and most his classes had minimal homework at this point in the semester. Unfortunately Friday was still a chore he’d face in the morning but it meant the weekend was that much closer.

Despite numerous attempts to engage Armin about the subject, he refused to answer any of Jean’s questions pertaining to his supposed anger, Eren, or even how the class went. Armin instead took to the stacks to return the books and keep to himself. He borrowed a new research book, took his tortoise shell frames from the desk drawer, and pulled out his earbuds. That set-up only meant he wanted complete isolation and time to himself, so Jean gave him his space. While they had repaired their friendship the previous year, Jean never pried too much into Armin’s life and knew the signs to leave him alone, something Eren normally chose to ignore.

For the first time in a month Marco did not make an appearance at his usual table, leaving Jean to his thoughts for most of his shift. He had a brief meeting with Dr. Zacharius when the man materialized out of thin air, scaring him. He claimed his usual study room, not even attempting to hide a bottle of wine from Jean.

“It helps me read.” Mike explained. Jean shrugged his shoulders and gave the man the key to the room.

With the quiz behind him and his job finished, Jean kicked his shoes off and allowed himself to merge with the futon. He was at peace and almost dozed off, but a stream of curses from the direction of Eren and Armin’s rooms caught his attention. He spoke loudly, “Everything alright down there?”

“Yeah, just slipped,” Eren’s annoyed voice echoed back.

After a few more minutes of shuffling he emerged from the hallway with wet hair and no shirt, still drying his face with a towel. Jean glanced over at the kid’s chest, almost gawking when he saw abs. “How the hell do you have an eight pack?”

Eren finished with his face and moved the towel to his hair. “I work out every week, unlike you who keeps slacking. You seriously missed three weeks with us.”

“With Annie,” Jean corrected. “All you ever do is run around the track.”

“I do some other stuff with ‘Kasa too. She teaches me some martial arts stuff.”

“Of course she does,” Jean rolled his eyes. Eren shot him a curious look, finally walking over to the futon.

“Is that a problem?”

“What? No,” Jean denied quickly, but there was no denying the hint of jealousy in his voice.

“Whatever. Did Arm come back with you?” Eren dug his hands into his pockets, staring at the ground instead of his roommate.

“No, he wanted to do more reading. If you want dinner you gotta order or go to the cafeteria.”

“Fuck that. They can’t even make pizza right on this campus.”

“Agreed. Armin’s spoiled us,” Jean pulled himself up from the couch, stretching his arms.

A burnt smell greeted both brunets and the door to the dorm was kicked open, Connie rushing in with a tray of smoking something. He dashed to the counter and set the tray down.

“Crap, crap, crap.” He repeated as he blew on it in vain.

Although the food was burning, Eren’s stomach growled loudly. Jean smirked but then his belly answered Eren’s call, earning another incredulous look from Eren. “I think we’re ordering out tonight.”

“Probably,” Jean nodded, finally noticing Connie’s strange clothes.

He was wearing his hair up in the bun, but he was dressed in a white sleeveless shirt and pink gym shorts that exposed most of his thighs. There was no way he owned those clothes. To top it off he had an apron with a giant pot leaf on the front of it. There was some text but Jean was unable to read it from that far.

“What did you make?” Eren called out to the wannabe chef.

“Tried to bake cookies, but I think they’re a little black.” Connie angled the tray and presented his creations. They resembled charcoal more than pastries though.

“Just a little bit,” Jean snickered. “What’s with the get up?”

“Oh, this? Armin cooks in it so I figured I’d do the same.”

“But the shorts?” Jean pointed to the obnoxious pink color.

“Cooking.” Connie further explained. “Pretty comfy.”

“That’s not what those are for.” Jean deadpanned.

“Shows what you know. But you guys said something about ordering? I know a good pizza place that delivers until 4 in the morning.” Connie smiled.

“How?”

“Munchies.”

\---

Halfway into eating their pizzas, a knock at the door startled the three. Connie volunteered as tribute and answered it, still in his cooking attire. He was greeted by Sasha and Marco. Both guests did a once over of Connie, puzzled by his appearance.

“Are those my running shorts?” Sasha bypassed the traditional greeting.

“Possibly,” Connie invited. “Come on in.”

Sasha was already in sweats and looked prepared for bed, while Marco retained his traditional long sleeved button down shirt and checkered scarf. He still wore his slacks from lecture. Jean assumed he chose to be professional at all hours.

“Howdy neighbors.” Jean waved. “To what do we owe this late night pleasure?”

“No Beeriokart this week?” Marco ignored Jean’s question.

“Fuck no. I ain’t risking the cops until after Halloween.” Connie made an X in front of his chest with both his arms, completely refuting the idea of it.

“Fair. I’m here about you housing contract with the dorm.” Marco explained.

“What about it?” Eren inquired, pizza still in hand.

“It’s out of date.”

“Meaning?”

“Meaning you guys never updated it.” Marco rubbed the back of his head, handing the paper to Connie. Connie flipped through it quickly until he realized the problem.

“Oh, we were supposed to add Johnny Boy in?” he guessed.

“Precisely. I didn’t even notice it until I was reviewing each file. I knew he lived here but he wasn’t in any of the other dorms.”

“What do I have to do?” Jean walked over towards his new RA, taking the paper from Connie.

Marco smiled before clarifying for him. “Just review their rules and if you agree you can sign it, otherwise we have to draw up a new one. It’s all very basic.”

Jean nodded and started reading through the generic rules and regulations of the dorm, leaving the others to their own interests. Sasha gave a quick sniff and peeked around Connie, noticing the pizza on the floor. She made a bee line for the food, practically drooling as she took a slice without asking.

“Garrison’s? I thought I only knew they delivered,” Sasha got excited, biting into the food with an eerie reverence. She spoke with a full mouth. “This is divine.”

“Eat with your mouth closed.” Eren advised, scowling at the bad manners.

“You have fantastic taste in food, Eren.” She complimented.

“Actually, Connie was the one who called it.” Eren redirected Sasha.

She swallowed the pizza, and became less animated, turning towards the man in her pink shorts. “You know about Garrison’s?”

“Yes.”

“Good job.”

And with that she returned to another slice. Connie frowned at her actions. “You didn’t pay for that!”

“You did. What’s yours is mine.”

“How even-“

“Treaty of Pringles, Section II.” Sasha recited. “Until proper reparations are made, any food purchased by one Conrad Springer is forfeit to one Sasha Braus.”

“Damn it.”

“You wrote a contract?” Jean looked up from the housing agreement.

“Treaty technically. We were at war.” Sasha bit into another slice.

“Jean, enter the next smash tournament so I can win your money. My livelihood is at stake!” Connie begged.

“Nope.” Jean returned to his contract, Marco watching all of the commotion with a smile on his face. It wasn’t until Jean reached the amendment section that Jean raised some eyebrows. “All disputes will be settled over Mariokart. Really, guys?”

“It seemed peaceful. Armin suggested it.” Eren shrugged.

“Absolutely no ‘your mom’ jokes or insulting of one’s parents.” Jean frowned. Eren slumped his shoulders a little and stopped eating his food. Jean paused before continuing. “That’s fair.”

Marco noticed the change in atmosphere, but remained silent. Sasha was too busy devouring Connie’s pizza to see the others’ mood. Jean set the contract on the table and retrieved a pen from his room. He returned to sign under Thomas Wagner’s terrible signature, finally handing the paper back to Marco.

Giving up on any attempt to retrieve his food, Connie fetched a soda from the fridge and sat by the table. Jean heard his friend grumbling under his breath, however there was nothing either he or Connie could do about Sasha’s claim to his pizza. When the girl happily finished an entire pizza, she walked to the kitchen. She looked back at Connie’s can before rummaging through the fridge and finding an identical drink. Connie groaned when he heard her crack open the drink, his forehead hitting the table.

Marco chuckled along with Jean, both leaning on the wall along the doorway to the dorm. Sasha picked up the plate of burnt cookies from the counter and brought them to the table.

“Are these yours too?” She poked at one of the blackened sweets.

Connie nodded before staring at her. “You’re going to eat those too?”

Sasha bit into a cookie with the left side of her mouth, mimicking gold diggers of the past when they thought they found the precious metal. Unlike her old counterparts, she did not find her prize, and spat the blackened pastry back out. “Nope. That’s a rock.”

“Why did you make those?” Jean scratched an itch on his right arm, catching Marco’s attention briefly.

“I was hungry.” Connie stared at the kitchen wall, still remaining as stoic as possible.

“Can’t get baked so now you’re baking things?” Eren teased from the couch, finishing up his piece of greasy goodness.

“Very funny,” Connie rolled his eyes. “Can’t practice Smash so I gotta do something with my free time.”

“Don’t you do that with Mina and all of them?”

“Not for a while. They still aren’t happy I didn’t bail them out or got arrested with them.” Connie let his hair out of his bun, shaking his head to let it sway. Marco cocked his head towards the wall but kept his mouth closed.

Sasha finished chugging her soda, crushing the can and leaving it on the table. She scurried over to the fridge for another, earning another groan from Connie. Before he could complain, she returned with two and placed one in front of him. “You can practice on my system.”

“What.” Connie flatly replied.

“Use my Wii U.” Sasha repeated the offer.

“Why do you have Wii U?” Suspicion crawled into Connie’s voice, rightfully so since Marco was also giving his roommate a questioning look. “What’s the catch?”

“No catch, yet. I just like Wii Sports.” Sasha smiled.

“Yet?”

“I’ll think of something. Until then, just ask and you can use it.”

“Do you have Smash Brothers for it?”

“Come and see.” Sasha gestured with her face, signaling for Connie to follow. Taking the soda with a hint of reluctance, Connie trailed the excited girl as she skipped out of the room and towards her neighboring dorm.

Eren kicked the pizza boxes to the side and steadied himself on the futon as he got up. He waved goodbye before limping back to his room, still not feeling his best.

Marco stuck his hands in his pants’ pockets before shuffling from foot to foot, staring at the ground. If not for being dressed like a model, Jean would’ve thought he was a nervous kid dancing to get his mother’s attention to leave.

“Want a drink? I don’t think Sasha took all of them.” Jean opened the minifridge to pull out a bottle of water. He looked over his shoulder and saw Marco nodding. “We have water, Pepsi, and what I think is Gatorade.”

“Think?”

“It’s Eren. There might be vodka in there.” Jean explained, internally debating whether or not to check himself.

His RA nodded slowly. “Water please.”

Jean tossed Marco the bottle in his hands before retrieving a can of Pepsi for himself. The bottle caught his friend off-guard and he failed to catch it, bouncing harmlessly on the ground. Marco flushed a little bit as he bent down to get it. Jean snickered a little before sitting at the table, Marco joining him.

An awkward silence hung over the two as they slowly sipped their drinks, with Marco keeping the bottle close to his lips and Jean flicking the tab on his can back and forth until it broke. Out of distractions he opted to break the quiet. “Where were you today?”

He caught Marco by surprise, almost spilling the water everywhere. Despite his meticulous appearance, Marco seemed to be anything but that. “Come again?”

“You weren’t at the library today.”

“Oh, yeah. I had some extra work to do so I remained behind. Levi wanted me to grade the tests ASAP.”

“Eren?” Jean guessed.

“Eren.” He confirmed

“How’d he do?”

“I don’t think I’m supposed to tell you these things.” Marco smirked.

“Hasn’t stopped you before.” Jean shrugged his shoulders, not really intent on knowing his roommate’s grade.

“Let’s just say Levi and Eren will be having a nice long talk soon.”

Jean cringed hearing that. “Shit.”

“No, that was your grade.” Marco rested his head on his left cheek, giving his best Levi impression towards Jean.

“Look, that was harder than I thought and stuff we didn’t even go over was on there.”

“Fine.” Marco spoke, no anger in his tone. Jean blinked a few time before his friend elaborated. “Next time we go over more. At least this helped your grade. Besides, I think you did very well today.”

“I thought my grade was shit.” Confused by the mixed messages, Jean scratched the back of his head.

“Oh it is. Like this much shit.” Marco placed a hand over the table, just high enough to earn a scowl from Jean. Imaginary shit piles aside, Marco focused on the actual question. “But I was talking about after the test. You know more about Titan than I thought.”

“Please, what I shouted was the basics. A Google search would’ve shown that.” He dismissed the compliment with a wave of his hand, not used to any form of flattery.

“And yet over half the class believed what Wagner and the others shouted.” Marco frowned, pausing for a second to finish his water. “Seriously, good job.”

Red crept into Jean’s cheeks as he shrugged once more, crushing his empty can to distract himself momentarily. Maybe he did do well today.

\---

“And then he actually said he’d consider making me an intern. No joke.” Jean recounted Thursday’s events, stirring his soup mindlessly as steam rose from it. He paused briefly. “At least I don’t think it was a joke.”

Mikasa smiled as she nibbled on her salad gracefully. “Did he smile?”

“Levi can do that?”

“Then he meant it,” Mikasa stated dryly, placing her fork beside her plate. The tiniest of smiles appeared on her face, giving Jean another reason to pause as he started on his soup. A faint red appeared on his cheeks as he stared at the table. “Levi might not hate you now.”

“Thanks.” Jean snorted.

His scowl remained missing in action for the duration of the dinner as he and Mikasa ate their meal. Things had gone better than planned, with Connie giving Jean another restaurant recommendation worthy of an anniversary date and no unexpected guests appearing. The atmosphere was relaxed, the lights dim, music played quietly in the background, and a candle completed the romantic atmosphere. The wilting red carnation was the only drawback, but the observant waiter quickly replaced it with a pink one when he returned with drinks.

Jean chose to wear a white button down shirt he reserved for his father’s hospital galas and the slacks he wore to the speech. While it was not much in terms of appearance, he felt it reflected his simple and pure adoration for Mikasa. Her crimson dress did not fail to impress and no matter how many times he saw it, Jean still loved it. Not only did it highlight her hourglass figure, the significance of it made for the truly amazing part. It was the dress she wore to Homecoming senior year when, after several failed attempts of taking her to dances, Mikasa finally agreed to give Jean a chance. The night proved one for both to remember.

After their meal finished, Jean paid for the bill and they grabbed their belongings. Mikasa wore her red scarf, a lighter shade of red than her dress, and Jean put on his beany to hide his unkempt brown hair. They left with linked arms and strolled towards Stohess Hall, taking their time to enjoy the chilly evening.

As an especially cold breeze blew between the two, Mikasa closed the distance between them and Jean placed his hand in hers, squeezing it for good measure.

“So, next weekend.” Jean began, trying to think of the best way to phrase his question.

“Hm?” Mikasa encouraged him, squeezing his hand back.

“The fraternity is having a dance with a sorority.” Jean tried to elaborate. “And I- uh…”

“You want me to go with you?” Mikasa guessed.

“Yeah, that.” Jean blushed. It really was like high school all over again. “I wasn’t sure you’d made plans or not.”

“Not without you. Annie told me about it so I just guessed you forgot.” Mikasa leaned her head on his shoulder as they reached the dorm.

“Thank you, Annie.” Jean chuckled. He opened the door for his girlfriend, waiting with a smile as she entered a warmer environment.

At Mikasa’s insistence they took the five flights of stairs to Jean’s dorm, reminding Jean of what happened the last time they had a date. Sweat began to collect on his forehead as they reached his room. They both remained quiet as they dawdled in front of the dorm. There was no sound from inside his room, but Jean did not want to press his luck. He just wanted to press his lips to hers. Two years and he had never managed to do that.

“You know I had a great time tonight.” Mikasa interrupted his thought process. Her faint smile from earlier returned, charming Jean once again. The blush in her cheeks was visible in the lighting of the hallways, although he did not know if it was from the cold or embarrassment.

“Yeah, me too.” He replied, his voice barely above a whisper. He stared into her warm, dark eyes, missing the door next to them cracking open. He placed his arms around her and pulled her into a warm embrace, the furthest they normally go. Pulling back slightly from the embrace, he smiled weakly at her and moved some stray hairs back behind her ear. Her smile faltered a little as his eyes fluttered close and he began to lean forward.

“Go on and kiss the girl.” A hushed voice whispered next to the couple, startling Jean enough to hit his forehead on Mikasa’s. Unable to process everything, he tripped over his feet falling backwards onto the door to his room. Mikasa rubbed her forehead and hissed a little at the bump.

“What the-” Jean groaned as he examined the hall for the source of the sound, quickly finding the open door. Peering out into the hall was Connie’s head, hair pulled up into the bun, and a giant smug grin plastered on his face.

Connie then fell into the hall the hall, rubbing his butt. A foot could be seen extending form the door, and soon Sasha marched into the hall. She glared at him. “Don’t you have any manners? Don’t interrupt!”

“I was just teasing.” Connie rubbed his backside, not noticing an angry Jean approaching. Jean grabbed him by his collar and pulled Connie up and against the wall. He was furious.

“You knew I had a date tonight and I asked you _specifically_ for no interruptions,” Jean was fuming, not caring that Mikasa was standing right there nursing a new headache.

“Sorry, just go back to making out and I’ll disappear into the room.” Connie apologized.

“I can’t because you ruined the fucking mood!”

“Jean, let him go.” Mikasa requested. Despite wanting to rip Connie a new one, he obliged his girlfriend and let the stoner fall to the ground.

“It’s not like you would’ve gotten far,” Connie commented as he fixed his bun. Jean turned around and was halfway through a kick when Connie noticed. “Wait!”

Jean froze with his foot approaching his friend’s stomach. “Why?”

“Eren brought a girl over.”

A few seconds of silence passed before Jean lowered his foot and let out a deep sigh. He offered a hand to Connie and pulled him to his feet, passing on the urge to punch him in the gut still. “Stupid asshole knew about this date. How long ago did she come?”

“Dunno but they were doing a little something something when I got back.”

“And then he pounded on my door and begged to be let in.” Sasha supplied the rest of the story.

The door to the Jean and Connie’s dorm swung open and a relatively cute girl exited, her face puffed up with anger. She stomped passed the crowd and Eren was right behind her. “Look, I’m sorry.”

She spun on her heels and pointed a finger into his chest. “You don’t get to say you’re sorry. That was rude and uncalled for. Don’t talk to me again and erase my number from your phone.”

With that, she continued towards the stairs and left without another word. Eren deflated against a nearby wall and sunk to the floor. It was only then he noticed the people outside the room. “What?!”

His friend remained silent until his angry face began to soften, a crack in his normally solid shell. Taking note of this, Mikasa stepped forward and began issuing orders. “Jean, get rid of the alcohol. Connie, try to find Armin. Sasha, sorry you had to see this. I’m taking him to his room.”

Jean paused when Mikasa lifted Eren bridal style, a mix of jealousy and shock filled his chest. Eren was not fussing at being carried by Mikasa. When he thought he saw tears forming in Eren’s eyes Jean knew he should just do as he was told, and he went to find all the beer in the fridge. He also took the Gatorade bottle just in case. He watched as Mikasa carried Eren to his room and shut the door. 

This was not how his anniversary was supposed to go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well this was originally supposed to have the Homecoming dance and I spent the entirety of my day on it, but it just got too long. So good news is the next chapter exists but I'll be making heavy edits to let it flow better and get some more plot stuff done.
> 
> Also we got to know a little more about what Titan is, so there's that. More info on that as future chapters come out since that kind of becomes a central thing in the story.
> 
> Thanks again for reading you guys! All kudos, comments, and messages are appreciated since they help me know what to improve and focus on. I have a tumblr by the same name where I post some updates and side notes, so feel free to message me on there too. I'm also highly considering getting a beta because these things can be hard to edit. If anyone's interested feel free to send me a message about.
> 
> Finally, for everyone finishing up finals: Good Luck, you're all beautiful people and you're almost there!


	11. Under the Pale Moonlight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Homecoming go all according to no one's plans, and all the ships can finally set sail (finally).

After Eren managed to sink any evening plans Jean had with Mikasa, Jean waited until Armin appeared before he locked himself in is room. His anger was set to simmer until he could properly confront Eren about the fiasco.

He awoke to find Armin serving breakfast, greeted by the smell of bacon and pancakes. Before Armin noticed him standing in the hallway, Jean realized Armin kept a somber look on his face and focused on the plate. It was the first time he was in the dorm since his outburst with Eren and probably not the way he wanted to return. When Jean observed there were only three plates, he returned to his room since he knew who those were for.

Eren was mobile by the afternoon but he refused to speak to Jean about anything, even at the fraternity. Instead he put all his focus into preparing materials for the Homecoming Party such as making signs and getting ingredients for baking. Jean assisted Reiner with other meaningless tasks until they were finished with the lesson.

Some semblance of routine returned to the dorm during the week with everyone attending lecture together, but the problems annoying everyone remained unresolved and the tension ran high. Jean was pissed at Eren and Connie, Armin annoyed with Eren, and Connie annoyed with his lack of cash so all his food was donated to Sasha Braus’ bottomless stomach. House dynamics shifted as a result so Eren and Connie spent more time with Sasha and Marco in their place while Jean and Armin remained in the silent dorm. By the time the Homecoming dance arrived on Saturday Jean was ready to cut loose and blow off some steam.

“These trays won’t carry themselves, Kirschtein!” Eren shouted to him, who was in the middle of unloading someone else’s car full of beer.

“I’m getting the piss you’ll be drinking tonight, so you grab the damn cookies!” Jean replied with a hint of anger in his voice.

“Boys, boys, there’s still plenty of time for unloading.” Reiner interrupted the exchange, grabbing a cooler from Jean and taking two trays of cookies from the back of the car. “Just chillax and act cool. The girls will be coming and you don’t want to look like a bunch of idiots.”

“Too late for Kirschtein,” Eren stuck out his tongue.

“You’re just pissy because I got a date and you didn’t.” Jean bragged, enjoying getting a rise out of his roommate. Even if it meant taking cheap shots at Eren, he wanted childish revenge for losing his evening with Mikasa.

Rather than engage him, Eren opted to glare and walk back towards one of the tables to continue set-up. Jean smirked, feeling like he actually accomplished something. Until a cooler smacked him on the head. He grunted and rubbed the spot, scowling at Reiner who laughed as he walked away.

The brothers spent much of the time setting up the food while the few sorority sisters who showed posted signs and decorations. Ymir was directing most the girls for reasons unknown to Jean, and Bertl was put in charge of music. The girls made it quite clear the guys were only there to help with the food so nothing important could get screwed up, according to Ymir. Deciding he had finished his portion of the work, Jean ducked out when no one was looking and wandered into a nearby patch of woods.

The dance was taking place in a field, outside the bustle of Sina’s downtown and opposite the wealthy neighborhoods. How the girls found someone willing to host a bunch of college kids was an achievement in itself, but the location also was beautiful. Fall had already turned the leaves into a potpourri of colors on the spectrum of yellow to orange to red. They radiated warmth that was felt in the wind, the day being unseasonably warm.

It was a small plot of land where the grass was flattened for people to come and dance the evening away without care or worry. Surrounding the field were giants trees that Jean explored with new curiosity. A small but well-worn trail lead him through the thicket, speckled by the sunlight breaking through the trees. During his small journey he found a small alcove with a fire pit that had not been used in a while, but the spot seemed perfect for escaping the world. The colorful leaves from before made an appearance on the trees above the firepit, revealing the cloudy blue sky. Sun shone on the small patch of dirt, fading to shadow as a cloud passed over the light. Continuing on his little hike, the trail eventually lead Jean to the other side of the woods and towards a pond.

The noon sun reflected brightly in the algae covered watered, blinding him momentarily. Marsh plants grew around the edge of the pond and land, encasing the blue-green lake with a crown of dark green spikes. Light buzzing alerted Jean to the swarms bugs gliding around the surface of the algae, the hum pleasant to his ears. On the opposite side of the pond from where the trail vanished was a small tree, full with multicolored leaves. Beautiful orange and red blossomed from the branches of the tiny but sturdy tree, its white bark contrasting with the menagerie of colors. A warm breeze fluttered through the leaves, blowing a couple red ones towards the dark green of the lake and creating some landing pads for the busy bugs.

“Kirschtein? We need help with the cake!” A loud voice called out. Rolling his eyes and sighing dramatically, Jean turned around to go help finish preparing the barn for a night to remember.

\---

“Why am I doing this again?” Connie wondered aloud, as he navigated his station wagon. His eyes struggled against the setting sun.

“Because we need DD’s and you’re my bro.” Reiner reminded from the front seat, dressed in a too tight white shirt and dark blue tie. “Plus you _need_ my Target discount if you wanna repay Pringle chick’s food.”

“Fucking Charybdis…” Connie muttered.

“What?” Reiner questioned as he stared at himself in the rearview mirror. He ran a hand through his short blond hair several times until he was satisfied.

“Giant whirlpool from the Odyssey.” Connie replied. Reiner shrugged his shoulders as he inspected his teeth next. “It’s a fucking void, like her stomach. You can never fill it.”

“I didn’t know you like mythology.”

“Just ‘cause my best friend is a bong,” Connie looked into his side mirror and saw a pouting Jean staring outside the window. “No offense Jean.”

“None taken,” he mumbled.

“Doesn’t mean I’m illiterate. Love me some Greek gods. Dionysys is my personal hero.”

“Wonder Woman is your personal hero? I know what you mean dude. That rack…”

“Jesus Christ, broseph.”

Jean ignored the rest of the banter and stared out the window since he could not lean on his girlfriend as originally planned. He was stuck in the back with Mikasa at the other window seat, and a not too happy Eren Jaeger in the middle glaring daggers at him. Eren insisted on being in the middle, probably just to irk Jean, and boy was it working. He reused his outfit from his date and Mikasa did the same, not that she looked any less dashing in her red dress. She would be a beauty among the autumn leaves.

“So when do I have to be back here?” Connie asked as he pulled up to the dirt lot that somehow qualified as a parking place.

“Midnightish. I’ll call you when things start wrapping up so no smoking or drinking tonight.” Reiner ordered like his mother. “Or you don’t get paid.”

“You’re lucky I need cash…” Connie grumbled as everyone filed out of the car and into the country lot. Jean linked arms with Mikasa, much to Eren’s disdain, and Reiner pulled Eren closer by placing an arm around his shoulder.

“You’re gonna have fun. There are _plenty_ of sisters who need a dance partner.” Reiner informed him, not alleviating his frown in the slightest.

When the group of four arrived, the music was already going and people were already dancing or chatting. Reiner motioned for his friends to follow him towards the food table. He pulled out a can of beer and passed it off to Eren, who eagerly opened it. Mikasa lifted her head enough to reveal a frown towards Eren. But he was facing the beer, unable to see her disapproval.

“Unless you got something else aside from beer, I think we’ll go mingle.” Jean spoke to his giant friend.

“Ah, but I do,” Reiner gave Jean his best reassuring grin. “But that’s for later. Try the punch though, it has a nice kick.”

“Hey!” Ymir stood on a rock and shouted at the crowd. The music stopped abruptly and people ceased their conversations. She wore a dark blue dress that went down to her knees, but Jean was more impressed that her hair was let down. He’d only see it in a ponytail. “Thanks for coming tonight. Thank you the brothers of Sigma nu Kappa for the food. And thank you me for providing the space.”

There was a quick applause for her from the sisters.

“Quick rules. Don’t leave your trash around too much because we’re cleaning it before we go. If I find anything in the woods, you’re all toast. Other than that, enjoy yourself, drink, smoke, I don’t give a shit. Just don’t burn the place down. So enjoy the music and dance!”

On cue, the music returned louder than before and some people cheered and ran off to the field to cut back and dance to the energetic music. Instead of joining the others, Jean and Mikasa went to try some of the punch at Reiner’s recommendation and seek out the others they knew at the party.

Mikasa quickly located Annie and dragged Jean by the arm to go see her. She was in the middle of a conversation with some of the other sisters when they found her. Her icy eyes flashed with recognition when the other two came by. Annie excused herself from her conversations and met the other two halfway.

“Mikasa, Jean.” she greeted formally.

“Ice princess.” Jean gestured to her sparkling light blue dress. Annie raised an eyebrow, unimpressed with the name. “You look like Elsa, seriously.”

“I find inspiration everywhere.”

“Disney movies?”

“I’m not picky,” Annie shrugged, finally doing a once over of Jean and Mikasa. “Red really is your color.”

“Thanks. And blue is yours.” Mikasa returned the compliment.

“And you need to learn to tie a tie.” Annie pulled on Jean’s black tie, the clip popping off to prove her point. He grabbed for it back and she held it over his head. “Son of a doctor and can’t even do that.”

“Give me that!” Jean narrowed his eyes. The cloth was dropped on his head and he quickly reattached it to his shirt, making sure no one noticed.

“Seriously, learn how to do that. It’s a good life skill.” Annie advised. “Now scram, girl talk.”

Mikasa nodded along and Jean shook his head, knowing when he was not wanted. He meandered back to the punch and refilled his cup, looking for anyone else he could distract himself with. He found Eren and Reiner chatting next to a tree, beer in hand as they watched people dance.

“You’re kidding me. How did bowlcut get a date?” Eren was shocked, disbelief evident in his voice.

“Dunno. Some chick he met at a bar I think. They’re coming in a little bit since he’s DDing and getting Franz.” Reiner answered, a mix of happiness and jealousy in his voice. Jean walked up behind them, doing his best to not get noticed.

“How did you not get a girl? You’re ripped, tall, and funny.”

“I didn’t ask anyone. Plenty of girls here to pick from. Plenty of blonde chicks. Like those over there.” Reiner indicated with his index finger. “You don’t have to bring a date to have fun. Learn that while you’re young, Jaeger.”

“I’m like a year younger than you.” Eren snickered.

“So young. So naïve.”

“You’re definitely a big baby.” Jean inserted himself in the conversation, startling his two friends. Eren spat out some beer and Reiner put a hand on his chest.

“Fuck off, Kirschtein,” Eren gave him the finger. “I know I’m older than you.”

“One week.” Jean recalled correctly.

“So young and so naïve.” Eren copied Reiner, getting a laugh from the big guy. Jean rolled his eyes and looked into the crowd.

“No luck with any of the girls? You seem pretty good at scaring them off.” Jean observed.

“We haven’t tried yet,” Reiner spoke before Eren could hurl an insult. “We saw some pretty blonde girls over there. What do you think of them?”

“I got a girl, so I don’t think anything of them.” Jean smiled, still inspecting the group they were looking at. There were a few blonds among them, including someone with her hair pulled back into a ponytail with a blue ribbon, Annie’s Elsa outfit, and Mikasa chatting between them.

In the setting sun he was able to see the outlines of some more, but the shortest was still visible and easy to make out. She wore a blue dress not unlike Annie’s, but noticeably less sparkly. She spoke with animated gestures, her hands flying around with a red solo cup. She glanced over towards the guys and made eye contact with Jean. Realization fell on him like a pile of bricks. At about the same time he recognized her, it began to dawn on the girl as well and she quickly began walking over towards them.

“Look at that. My do-me eyes worked!” Reiner grinned. Ignoring his friend entirely, Jean began walking halfway to meet her. Her friends took little notice of her departure but Reiner and Eren followed Jean.

“Hist-”Jean began before the girl pulled him by his tie towards her level, and cut him off with a kiss. Jean’s eyes widened from shock and his two friends froze in their steps. Jean felt his tie fall off again as the girl pulled away.

She leaned over to his ear and whispered in a serious tone. “Don’t call me that. We’ll talk later.”

Jean nodded very slowly as his two friends slowly approached. Reiner’s face was painted with surprise while Eren’s was a bit more on the stoic side, anger cracking through the façade. The girl smiled and wobbled a bit as she picked up the fallen tie.

“I think this is yours, cutie pie.” the girl giggled, her voice suddenly bubbly. She looked around Jean, who was still frozen in place, and found his friends. “Who are these guys, Jean?”

“This- this is Reiner and E-Eren,” Jean introduced, tripping over his syllables and refusing to make eye contact with either of his friends.

“Oh, cool! Hi, I’m Krista!” she held out her hand. Reiner quickly shook it, while Eren was a little more hesitant.

“Nice to meet you, Krista. I’m Reiner.” The giant blond smiled.

“I already said that.” Jean retorted, stopping when he saw the look of death Eren was giving him.

“Do you know, Jean?” Eren coldly asked.

“Yeah, he’s an old friend.” Krista chirped happily. “It’s been sooooo long and I’m kinda drunk.”

She leaned on Jean for support, not helping his situation at all. “Uh, Histo-” An elbow into his side cut him off. “Krista! I got a girlfriend.”

“Oh really! I knew you’d get one someday,” She smiled, more genuine than she had before. And as if on cue, Mikasa and Annie appeared.

Mikasa’s eyes hardened and stared straight at Jean, hollow and terrifying. He quickly put his hands up to defend himself as Annie tapped her on the shoulder.

“Mikasa, this is Krista. She’s an old family friend of ours. She’s the _girl_ I was telling you about.” Annie came to Jean’s defense. Immediately Mikasa’s eyes regained their emotion and her scary exterior fell away. She extended a hand.

“Mikasa, it’s nice to meet you,” Krista took Mikasa’s hand with no hesitation. Jean was surprised when Mikasa did not use her hand to flip Krista around and crush her into the ground. “Talk time!” Krista grabbed Annie and Jean, pulling them away from their friends and towards a quiet corner near the parking lot. Krista let the two of them go as they stood by an empty spot.

Jean quickly recovered from his shocked demeanor and stared at his two friends. “First off, thank you Annie.”

“It’s what I do.” She brushed him off.

“Secondly, Historia why are you here?” he asked Krista.

“Dancing, why else?” She smiled. “Sorry about the kiss, I didn’t know you got a girlfriend. Was it the scary one?”

“Yup.” Annie confirmed. Jean still had a puzzled look on his face when she further explained. “She’s a sister in the sorority and changed her name so she could go to college here.”

“What she said. I didn’t know you went to Sina too, Jean.” Krista smiled.

“I do. If only dad was there to see that. I think he’d die happy on the spot.”

“Probably.” Annie shrugged.

“Why Sina though? There’s a million other colleges away from here you could’ve gone to.”

“Daddy’s terms. I get a normal college life without his interference but I must stay nearby. It also has a pretty campus.” Krista explained.

“If my dad sees you…”

“He won’t. I’m in the business college so the chances of any doctors seeing me are pretty much null.”

“Well, glad to see you’re well. But I should probably dance with my date since one of us at least brought someone here.” Jean smiled at Annie. She returned his gesture with a tiny smile of her own.

A chill went down his spine as she answered him. “Who said I didn’t bring a date? He was getting food last I saw.”

“Who?”

“You’ll find him around.”

“Where is Hitch?” Krista interrupted, still smiling. “I miss the last member of the resting bitch face squad.”

“She went to beauty school or something-” Jean began as a car pulled up towards them.

As if on cue, Marlowe, Franz, Hannah, and Marlowe’s date emerged from the vehicle, a bit surprised to see the others.

“Oh, sorry to intrude. I didn’t see you when I parked.” Marloew apologized to the group. His date stared at the people and her frown turned upside down. 

“Oh my God! Annie, Jeany, Hist-” his date got cut off by a flash of blonde and Krista planting another kiss on the girl. The three people from the car were a bit stunned and even the date shut up when Krista pulled away.

“Damn it, Krista,” Jean face palmed as the girl giggled. The brunette she kissed looked at the blonde, back to the two she called out to, and back to the blonde.

“Hi, Hitch,” Krista smiled, a bit proud at silencing her friend. “Sorry about that. I was a bit excited to see you. It’s been too long.”

“Uh, Marlowe, give us a minute.” Jean requested. His pledge brother nodded slowly, but seemed unsure. The three left and Hitch instantly glared at Krista.

“The FUCK? In front of my date? Have some class Historia? And what’s with this Krista bullshit? That’s was your imaginary friend!” Hitch all but shouted, thankfully out of earshot of anyone.

“Calm down, Hitch.” Jean placed a hand on her shoulder. Hitch took a deep breath and exhaled.

They quickly brought her up to speed and it did only a little to calm her down. “You could’ve placed your hand over my mouth or something a little, I don’t know, less conspicuous!”

“He’ll get over it.” Jean rolled his eyes.

“You have no room to talk? You know how hard it is to find a boy that likes me?”

“With your looks, not too hard. With your mouth? Eh…” Jean teased.

“Quiet, John.”

“Hitch the Bitch.”

“Both of you quit being kids.” Annie glared at them.

“And Elsa appears.” Hitch rolled her eyes, a playful glint flashing in her eyes.

“Don’t you start on that too.” Annie warned.

“Look, I really want to catch up, but I got a date night to rescue because someone couldn’t keep it in their mouth,” Hitch glared at Krista. She licked her lips and made a pensive look for a second. “Cherry?”

“Peach.” Krista corrected.

“Well it’s been peachy. Hit me up sometime and we can all get food or something. Catch up you all later!” Hitch waved them off before going to find her confused and disgruntled date.

\---

After catching up with his friends and returning to the field, Jean quickly found Mikasa and accompanied her out to the field. While they both danced, he could feel Eren’s burning gaze staring at him from across the field for the first few songs, but that eventually disappeared after Jean lost track of the time. 

During his slow dance he felt someone continuously bumping into him while Mikasa rested her forehead on his shoulders. He quickly glanced around and only found Bertholdt and Ymir dancing near them, yet they weren’t facing him. A sense of dread crept up Jean’s neck when he saw the venomous look Ymir gave him for a split second, before dancing further off. Jean gave a confused look but shrugged it off in favor of continuing to spend time with his girlfriend.

As the sun finished setting, both decided to give dancing a break and to replenish themselves. Instead of going for water like a normal person, Jean went straight for the alcohol and bumped into an old friend, literally.

“Watch where you’re… oh, hey Jeany.” Hitch’s lips curled up deviously.

“Bitch.” Jean curtly greeted as he filled a new cup.

“Gene.”

“Screw you.”

Hitch’s face twisted in repulsion, emphasized by sticking her tongue out. “Ew, no. I know we used to practice the whole making out thing, but no. I draw the line at your dick.”

“There’s still a lot between kissing and sex you know.” Jean teased.

“ _I_ know, but _you_ don’t. Or so I’m guessing.”

“Am I really that easy to read?”

“We’ve been friends since like, what, 2nd grade? Reading you like an open book is a hobby of mine.” Hitch counted the years on her fingers.

“Well I got my girl so I’m happy.”

“Yeah, yeah, you and Mikasa. The entire grade wouldn’t shut up about it for like a month.” Hitch rolled her eyes, gulping down her punch at the memory. “You moved on pretty fast.”

“Don’t even start about that.” Jean warned, but Hitch chose not to heed it.

“Please, I’m surprised no one knew about _that_. Eren disappeared for the year and you got his sister. You think people could’ve made the connection.” Hitch pointed out what seemed like obvious facts.

“Those weren’t even the same year, dumbass.” Jean rolled his eyes as Hitch began to drink some more. “Besides, I live with him now.”

Jean narrowly avoided a shower of punch, Hitch spat the liquid out right next to him. “You’re his _what_?!”

“I live with him, Armin, and Connie.” Jean reiterated, suddenly glad he wasn’t a foot to his left.

“How in the hell did either of you agree to that? Asexual Armin play peacekeeper?”

“Kind of. And he’s not asexual. I think.” Jean raised an eyebrow as he sipped at his drink. His friend opted to refill her drink and stare over at a nearby tree.

“Until he gets a girlfriend or a boyfriend, I’m sticking by my name. Oh, and the pissed off elf is glaring at the moon.” Hitch grabbed Jean’s chin and redirected it towards a tree where Eren was staring intently at the open field.

“I’ll go check on him. And if he heard you call him that he’d-”

“Call me a bitch, I know, I know. I earned that name proudly.”

“Keep your mouth shut long enough so Marlowe can at least enjoy his evening.” Jean grinned, earning the finger from his friend. 

“Get your hair cut so Mikasa can see you if she ever kisses you. You look like a brown sheep dog.” Hitch advised, no trace of snark or malice in her tip.

“Girls like the moppy brown look.” Jean defended his hair.

“Maybe on One Direction, but you’re no boy band singer. Short and colored is all the rage. Hell, come visit me at school and I can do it for ya.” Hitch offered, lips curling deviously at the thought.

“Like hell I’m letting you near my hair!”

“Its my job, asshole. Now go cheer up your old flame.”

“He’s not- oh, fuck you too.” Jean rolled his eyes, knowing this conversation was going nowhere.

\---

Jean wandered around and found Eren sulking under a tree watching people dance. He sat down in the grass next to him and drank some more punch. “Still haven’t found a dance partner?”

“Go away.” Eren grumbled.

“What? Even Reiner found a girl, I think.” Jean squinted towards the crowd and saw the hulkish outline of Reiner grinding on a girl at least half his size. In the dim moonlight it looked like his attention was directed elsewhere though. “Shit, even Bertl and Ymir are grinding next to him too.”

“I said go away.” Eren repeated, a low growl appearing.

“Have you tried Annie? I heard she has a date but I haven’t seen them dancing.” Jean continued to ignore Eren.

“What part of- oh,” Eren stopped when he saw someone dancing in the moonlight. “I think she’s taken.”

Jean followed Eren’s eyes and to his surprise Annie was indeed dancing, though not like the wild people around her. Instead Mikasa was leading her in some sort of slow dance, completely against the beat of the music. They were dancing to their own personal tune. “The hell?”

“Can’t blame her. You did kiss that small chick. I thought you said you didn’t like blonde?” Eren began to tease. The shoe was on the other foot and now Eren getting a rise out of Jean.

“I don’t. Krista kissed me.” Jean explained through gritted teeth.

“Didn’t look like that to me.” Eren smiled.

“Yeah, well at least I’m capable of getting someone to kiss me.”

“What the hell does that mean, Kirschtein?” Eren narrowed his gaze.

“It means I’m not a chicken shit coward who won’t ask a girl to dance and cry about it under a tree, Jaeger!” Eren grabbed Jean by the collar and pulled him forward.

“I would if I didn’t-” Eren paused in a moment of clarity. His mind seemed to catch up with his mouth for once and he did not finish that sentence.

“If you didn’t what? Didn’t need to grow a pair?” Jean taunted. Eren practically snarled at him but a pale hand rested on his clenched fist.

“Enough, Eren. Put him down.” A calm voice commanded.

Both boys looked to the source of the soothing voice, and were surprised to find Armin calmly directing them. He pulled Eren’s hand off Jean’s shirt and pressed them apart.

“Arm, what are you doing here?” Eren asked, his anger completely subsiding.

“I’m Annie’s date, but she’s a bit busy right now.” Armin gestured to the dancing girls. In the light of the moon Jean could see that Armin was dressed very well for the evening. He had a white shirt like everyone else, but had a light blue bowtie instead of an actual tie, and it matched the soft color of eyes. He probably had a jacket lying around somewhere but Jean could not locate it. His khaki pants completed all of what Jean could see. “Both of you need to stop being childish and try not to fight.”

“Whatever.” Jean stared at the ground, stepping on a leaf to hear the crunch. Unfortunately no such sound came to appease him.

“Since you two aren’t willing to talk, mind if I chat with him? In private.” Armin requested. Jean nodded and left the two alone, opting to go grab more punch. He watched from a distance to see how the two were doing, the first actual conversation between them since Eren dipped out on Armin. Not that he could hear anything over the music, but when Armin dragged Eren back over to the table for a refill Jean could hear some resistance in the conversation.

“But you know _why_ I can’t dance.” Eren tried to argue, but his best friend was having none of it.

Armin passed him a beer before grabbing one for himself. “Nonsense, come with me.”

Pulled along by his arm, Eren was dragged by Armin towards the woods, disappearing into the trees. Jean stared off and shrugged before trying to figure out how to finish his evening.

\---

Jean sat on the log Eren had occupied before, keeping to himself until a big weight sat on the other end of the log and almost catapulted him upwards. When Jean regained his sense of balance, he turned to find a happily drunk Reiner relaxing. He was giving Jean a stupid grin, which was a little off-putting.

“What are you staring at?” Jean questioned.

“Just enjoying myself. How about you?” Reiner stretched his giant arms, cracking them as they moved upwards. 

“It’s been good. Just wanna dance with my girl though.” Jean frowned, staring in the moonlight as Mikasa and Annie started walking back towards them.

“Oh, I almost forgot. I got just the thing for you two!” Reiner jumped to his feet, nearly falling over from his overexcitement. He quickly ran off towards the coolers, while the girls returned.

“I’m here to return your dance partner. Have you seen mine by chance?” Annie asked, her skin shining in the moonlight from sweat.

“Ran off with Jaeger for a pep talk or something,” Jean answered. Annie’s tiny smile faded back into her usual scowl.

“Good for him then. Sounded like they needed it.”

“They did.” Mikasa agreed.

Reiner returned with a plastic bag and a goofy grin plastered on his smug face. “A peace offering.”

He handed the bag to Jean, who quickly opened it to find a bottle of wine and two glasses. “For what?”

“For ruining your date with the prank. That’s courtesy of Target’s best wine. I think.”

“You think?”

“It was pricey and sounded foreign. Either way, go enjoy yourselves.” Reiner commented before leaning in and whispering in Jean’s ear. “There’s a lake through the woods. Perfect romantic hiding spot if you catch my drift.” He punctuated his sentence by playfully elbowing Jean in the shoulder and giving him a wink.

“Come on, Casanova, I want to dance some more.” Annie grabbed Reiner’s shoulder and dragged him away.

Leaving Mikasa and Jean to themselves, both began to wonder what just happened. “He’s taking too many notes from Connie.” Jean muttered to himself.

He stood up and dusted his backside off from the log, before extending a hand to Mikasa. She gladly took it and allowed herself to be pulled up. Jean lead her towards the woods, receiving a doubtful look from Mikasa. Regardless, she followed him through the woods. “Where are we going? And what’s in the bag?”

“A kickass spot I found earlier by the pond. There’s a beautiful tree by it, so its perfect.” Jean broke a twig as he excitedly pulled Mikasa along. “And Reiner got us wine. He said it sounded foreign so I’m hoping it’s good.”

“If its Reiner we can only hope.” Mikasa joked.

As they approached the edge of the woods, Jean halted with Mikasa when the pond came into view. The first thing he saw was a bright light by the tree, a phone or some small device glowing brightly in the darkness. Next he saw the silhouettes of two people, one trying to lead the other. Mikasa crept next to him and saw it as well. The music broke the ambience but Jean and his girlfriend could clearly see one of the two were unwilling to move.

The unwilling shadow threw its hands in the air after what seemed like a curt exchange as the other shook its head. Even though Jean could not recognize the song, he figured out a new song popped on the playlist since the rhythm and instruments changed instantly. The figure shaking its head quickly perked up and grabbed the other one.

“Shut up and dance with me!” A masculine voice shouted, as the reluctant figure was pulled in.

Jean and Mikasa watched for a little bit longer before Jean tapped Mikasa’s shoulder and motioned for her to follow him into the woods. It took some remembering but even in the darkness and silence he found the alcove from earlier. The fire pit was smoldering meaning someone had been there already but the site looked vacated. Happy with this result, Jean pulled Mikasa down next to the dim light provided by the dead fire.

“Not the same spot, but it’ll do.” Jean spoke, pulling the glasses out of the Target bag. He then removed the bottle and happily began tearing at the seal.

“It’s still cozy,” Mikasa hummed in approval. She watched as Jean struggled with the bottle, amused by his inability to get it open. “Is there a problem?”

“Yeah,” Jean admitted as he started digging into the plastic bag. “Genius friend forgot to get a corkscrew. I can’t open this thing without one.”

“Oh, that’s why Annie gave me this.” Mikasa reached into her cleavage, causing Jean to look away briefly, and she pulled out a Swiss Army knife. Mikasa fiddled with the different attachments until a corkscrew appeared. She took the bottle from Jean, going right at the cork. As soon as she popped it from the bottle, Jean got the glasses and began pouring the wine.

“Thank God he at least got red wine. Why did Annie give you the knife for?”

“She said it was for protection. I should’ve known better.”

“I didn’t think they were capable of scheming together.” Jean laughed as he handed Mikasa a full glass. He lifted his glass and waited for Mikasa to notice. “A toast to their plans.”

Mikasa gave a sly smile before clinking her glass to Jean’s. They slowly drank their wine and chatted about the evening. As the air began to cool without the sun’s heat, they sat closer together other until the alcohol began to warm them further. Time disappeared around them as they got lost in conversation and memories, the smoldering fire providing a variety of colors to stare at. Jean’s eyes were transfixed warm coals, as they reminded him of his girlfriend’s warm, dark eyes.

“Thank you.” Mikasa broke the silence.

“For what?” Jean turned his head sideways, as Mikasa sat up.

“For being there. And for being here.” She smiled, leaning closer towards Jean.

He felt his nerves kick into high gear and his palms began to sweat. “I –er, of c-course.”

Jean pulled himself into a sitting position, as Mikasa sat on his lap facing him. She leaned down and pressed their foreheads together. Jean leaned back a little bit, looking for any reservations in Mikasa’s demeanor, finding none. He pulled what confidence he had, and leaned in for a kiss. A look of fear appeared on her face quickly, but Jean pushed through and closed the distance between them.

No pranks, no Connie, and no distractions to ruin the moment. It was just them in front of coals of a dying fire, the color finally fading before them as a breeze rustled the leaves nearby.

\---

“He still hasn’t skinned you alive yet?” Connie asked, not turning his attention away from the television. Even with the Halloween Smash Bros tournament approaching, he still found some extra time to relax on the old Nintendo 64 console in their room.

“Nope. I think I’m in the clear,” Eren shrugged. He dug through the fridge for a drink. Settling on pulling a cool can of beer from the back, he hastily cracked it open to satisfy his dry throat.

“Doubt it,” Armin disagreed as he took notes from a video playing on a nearby phone.

“We all saw your test, Jaeger. You’re fifty shades of fucked,” Jean called from the couch, smirking at the glare Eren shot his way. “Just sayin’.”

Armin stared across the room to no one in particular as his cheeks tinted a rose color, and Eren ignored the insult. A beep from Jean’s phone caught his attention, only further surprising him when he saw Marco’s name appear on the caller id.

“’Sup, Bodt? Can’t get enough of me today? Class literally got out thirty minutes ago,” Jean gazed at his watch to confirm his estimate.

“Are you all in your room?” Marco ignored Jean’s question, speaking faster than his normal calm pace. This was more deliberate and serious.

“Uh, yeah? Why?”

“Put your phone on speaker.” Jean complied and now everyone in the room was staring at him. “If you all value your safety I’d grab a jacket and bolt from the room now.” 

Jean stared at his phone as the others paused what they were doing. “What’s going on, Bodt?”

“You have approximately two minutes before Levi makes it to your dorm because he’s still waiting on the elevator. He didn’t look particularly happy when he left and I can only guess why. Now get your shit and go down the stairwell at the back of the dorm.”

The cluster of dormmates only exchanged brief looks of fear before they started scrambling for their rooms. Connie practically climbed over Jean, ignoring his friend’s loud curses, and managed to sprint to his room, while Eren jogged and almost tripped over himself, if not for Armin catching him at the last minute. Jean sprung to his feet and grabbed his jacket off the back of his chair. He slipped his shoes on, very glad he decided not to put on his pajama pants like the others. Armin returned still in his tanktop.

“Do you have a sweater? All my stuff is still in the wash downstairs…” Armin almost begged. Jean ran to his room and grabbed the nearest hoodie as well as his beanie. He tossed the hoodie at Armin, beaming him in the head.

“Jaeger, Connie, let’s go! That elevator is only so slow!” Jean shouted.

“I’m here,” Connie pulled Barry over his hair, not bothering to stick his hair in a bun.

Armin pulled the oversize hoodie on and surveyed the room for anything important, quickly finding and grabbing his cell phone.

“Go down the hall, both of you,” Jean ordered, the two nodded and running off. Their tennis shoes echoed as Eren hobbled out of his room. He still wore his sweat pants but had his scarf and an ID flailing around his neck.

“Elevator is coming up!” Connie warned from the hallway.

“Shit! Kirschtein, gimme your shoulder,” Eren demanded.

“What? Can’t you run you lazy ass?” Jean was puzzled.

“Now’s not the time. Shoulder, now!”

Despite the urge to ignore the request, Eren’s hand caught Jean’s left shoulder before he had a chance to bolt. If it wasn’t for his friend’s extra weight, Jean would’ve been able to escape faster. This was also the only time he would be thankful for the self-locking doors of the ancient dorm. As they neared the elevator, Jean saw it ding to four.

“He’s almost here…” Jean mumbled, increasing his pace. Eren grabbed onto for dear life as he attempted a running jump, making it to the corner of the hall as he fell forward, narrowly avoiding slamming his face on the floor. Despite being used as a catapult, Jean easily ran to the corner, and grabbed one of Eren’s splayed out legs. He pulled his right leg and dragged Eren around the corner as the sound of the elevator opening announced itself. The familiar rhythmic cane was heard and Jean knew his RA wasn’t lying now.

Against all odds Eren managed to keep his mouth shut as Jean helped him to his feet. They hobbled as quietly as possible down the hall as Armin and Connie’s head were seen peering out of the stairwell door. The most caring of the group ran forward to grab Eren from Jean, easing his childhood friend onto his shoulder.

A thunderous knocking reverberated down the hallways, followed by their professor’s voice. “Open up, Jaeger!”

Taking their cue, the roommates retreated down the stairs as quick as possible. After making it down to the ground floor with minimal effort, except for Eren who was sweating a storm and still leaning on his friend, they snuck out the back entrance of Stohess hall. Waiting in the parking lot was a maroon van, suspiciously rusting out around the tires and caked in dried dirt and dust. The side door flew open and a face full of freckles greeted the four, just not the freckled friend Jean was anticipating.

“Get in, boys,” Ymir smiled wildly. Without the need for a second invitation, Jean’s roommates all filed into the back of the creepy vehicle. Jean approached more cautiously, tilting his head towards the front of the van to see who was driving. Marco was behind the wheel and Sasha was relaxing in the front seat. “We got ‘em, let’s go meet the others.”

“What others? What’s going on?” Jean gasped out as Marco hit the pedal and the car lurched forward with all the grace of being shaken awake.

“We’re going to Isle of Terror, frat boy.” Ymir informed him with a deceptively satisfied smile on her face, mimicked by Marco in the rearview mirror.

“Why are we going to a haunted house? I was kicking ass at Mario!” Connie complained, tuning out Eren and Armin as they finagled with something next to him.

“I can take you back to Professor Ackerman if you like.” Marco offered.

“NO!” Eren rejected loudly, causing Armin to lean away from his friend’s volume.

“Thought so. Besides I was instructed to gather you all for tonight.”

“By who?” Eren dared to ask.

“Everyone has a different person who wanted to see them.” Marco shrugged.

“Me?”

“Reiner.” Ymir supplied as she idly cleaned her fingernails.

“That asshole is involved?” Jean groaned.

“Just for Eren and Armin. He doesn’t have any plans for you.”

“Reassuring.” Jean rolled his eyes, clicking his seatbelt into place. The setting sun cast hues of red and orange across the horizon as they drove towards it, filling Jean with a sense of dread instead of ease.  
“Why the hell am I here?” Connie continued to grumble.

“Contract bound.” Sasha inserted herself into the discussion.

“Where in the treaty does it say I have to attend this specific thing.”

“Section IV right after the part where it says reparations can be made either in monetary or potato form.”

“Bullshit, I didn’t see anything about that.” Connie declared as he thought about the paper.

Sasha dug into a bag in front of her and pulled out a manila folder, passing it to the back. She handed it to Jean who passed it off to Connie. Connie removed his beanie and tied his hair up before opening the document. Inside was a stapled stack that he quickly dove into, flipping a few pages.

“How long is that thing?” Jean gaped since it looked longer than their housing contract.

“Enough.” Sasha smiled.

“One Conrad Springer will accompany one Sasha Braus on spontaneous adventures including, but not limited to, amusement parks, haunted houses, Shinganshina Woods, restaurants, etc. until repayment is complete.” Connie passed the folder back to Jean before letting his head fall back onto his seat. “Did you foresee this, Pringles chick?”

“This was planned a while ago, Dorito dude. Levi just gave us the perfect excuse.”

“Stupid imp.”

“So why am I here?” Jean tuned his friend out, staring at the back of the driver’s seat. A small smirk graced his face. “I finally grew on you enough to start dragging me along to places, Bodt?”

“You grow on people like a tumor.” Connie quipped from the back. Ymir and Eren snorted while Jean flipped him the bird.

“Yes, no? I didn’t specifically request you.” Marco answered, not clarifying anything at all.

“Then who?” Jean tilted his head in confusion. A freckled hand landed on thigh and he followed it back to Ymir, who casually raised her eyebrows several times. “Oh no…”

“Oh yeah, frat boy. We have some business to discuss.” Ymir’s grin widened from ear to ear, something that was more unnatural than Jean cared to admit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Perks to having the chapter mostly prewritten include being able to get it out faster than I anticipated. In good news we finally have all the 104th characters in play so their little ships can get going finally, but this is also a slow build fic and that applies to just about everyone. Everyone will have their moments so keep an eye out for that.
> 
> I'm also debating writing a side piece to show what went down for Armin and Eren during this chapter since if you couldn't guess they were the ones by the pond. Its a good moment for their relationship but I couldn't really show it since this narrative focuses around Jean.
> 
> As always, thank you everyone for reading and I hope you're enjoying the story so far. Next chapter promises to be fun with haunted houses and Halloween. I'm also considering it the transitioning point in the story since now everyone more or less is in place, the central plot can finally get going so Titan as well as people's history's will start coming to light. All kudos and comments are greatly appreciated, they help give me motivation and know how people are enjoying everything so far. Also fee free to find me on tumblr under the same name, I'm always up for a chat!
> 
> Let me know if you guys are interested in the little Eremin moment!


	12. No Homo, right?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which everyone gets the pants scared off them and lose the concept of personal space.

In Jean’s sheltered and often cozy world, many things were considered unnatural and disturbing. Cereal without milk? Unnatural. Salad without dressing? Also unnatural. Wearing ankle high socks and sandals? Unnatural and a sin. Reliable IKEA furniture? A myth. Connie studying for a test? Highly disturbing. 

The newest addition to the list? Ymir grinning from ear to ear like Cheshire Cat.

Except Jean was not in Wonderland and had no intention of playing the part of Alice, but considering he was in a rusted van that squeaked to a stop at every read light he might as well be going down the rabbit hole to hell. Or as he was previously informed, to Isle of Terror. Which was totally not in his plans for Tuesday evening. Hell, he had class in the morning and just wanted to watch Netflix until either his laptop died or he passed out on their questionably stained futon. A firm grip on his thigh reminded him that his desires died when they entered this rust bucket.

“We have business to discuss.” Ymir reminded Jean as she slowly removed her vice-like grip from him.

Other conversations began as everyone processed the last fifteen minutes slowly, Jean and his roommates very aware of how close they came to meeting a certain pissed off professor. Eren could not say his roommates did not make sacrifices for him.

Jean absentmindedly straightened his pants that wrinkled slightly from Ymir’s touch, narrowing his eyes at her. His gaze focused on her twisted grin, suspicion and unease creeping up his spine the longer he stared. “What possible business do I have with you?”

Finished with the pleasant façade, her smile fell into a frown and she returned the icy cold look Jean was giving her. Whether it was on cue or just random happenstance the car lights finally turned off, darkening her face. It only added more butterflies to the group fluttering around Jean’s stomach.

“Krista Lenz,” Ymir said rather quickly.

“Bless you?” 

Ymir rolled her eyes and exhaled a nervous breath. Regaining her previous confidence, she leaned forward in her seat. Her elbow rested on the armrest, and her chin perched in her palm. “I didn’t sneeze, frat boy. I said Krista Lenz.”

“What about her?”

“Exactly!” Ymir replied, pointing a finger at Jean. He slowly leaned back in his seat, trying to squish himself into the rough fabric while hoping there was some other astral plane where he could hide from this freckled terror. His fear only amplified as passing street lights momentarily lit her face from above, highlighting her devilish smile.

Either as a testament to his dumb luck or karma liking him, the van slammed to a halt. Ymir flew forward into the back of the of the driver’s seat, her face becoming one with the fabric, while Jean was saved by his seatbelt and only lost the ability to breathe for a few seconds. The group in the back seemed just as surprised as Jean, and someone must have met the same fate as Ymir because something hit his _hard_.

“My nose!” Connie shouted.

 _Karma it is._ Jean mentally confirmed.

“Marco!” A muffled voice shouted from within the driver’s seat. Ymir pulled her head out of the cushion and spat some fibers out of her mouth.

“We’re here,” Marco announced happily. He practically leapt from the driver’s seat and did his best to ignore the groans from the passengers. Only Sasha seemed unaffected by the sudden halt. Jean wagered she saw it coming since she was in the passenger seat after all.

Isle of Terror was one of those places whose reputation preceded it, yet added to the thrill and experience. It was a well-known haunted theme park with variously themed areas to scare the pants off people, but it never got old thanks to its business model of completely redoing each area every year. While he had never been there himself, Jean was well aware of the park located just outside Sina’s eastern borders and past the supposedly haunted woods. The local lore just added to its reputation.

Despite all the people who travelled to experience the park, he never bothered to go himself mostly due to the fact at how much he hated being scared. He was jumpy on a good day so the idea of paying someone to do it for him when Connie had already found plenty ways to do the same job for free was never something that crossed his mind. Not that he had a choice now.

Adding to the mysterious aura of the park was the fog that was most certainly being pumped by machines that could not be seen. Nothing like going into a haunted park without vision.

“If I have to replace my breaks, you’re paying for them,” Ymir grumbled.

“You told me to drive,” Marco replied, seemingly content with his friend’s reaction.

“Yeah, drive. Not simulate hitting a fucking brick wall.”

Shrugging off her vitriol, Marco lead the way down the gravel parking lot, the rocks shifting under his weight with every step. Not comfortable with the thought of walking by the freckled Amazon, Jean fell back and marched in stride with Eren and Armin as Connie hissed in pain about his nose. With the thick manmade fog limiting their vision, Jean kept his ears peeled so he knew when to halt his movement. Once the moving pebbles stopped, he and his roommates froze and barely missed running into Ymir and Sasha.

“You guys made it!” Reiner’s familiar voice greeted his friends. “And five minutes ahead of schedule.”

Instead of greeting the girls or Marco, Reiner walked past them and pulled all four guys into a giant uncomfortable group hug. Thankfully Ymir got his attention with a cough.

“Barely. Leadfoot over here nearly killed us on landing,” Ymir explained sourly while she gestured to Marco.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Marco huffed as he crossed his arms over his chest. 

He probably thought he was feigning offense, but it came across as pouting. Jean found himself giggling at the ridiculous sight. He stopped once he realized Connie shot him a dirty look.

“Speak for yourself. I think you broke my nose,” Connie grumbled. He gingerly poked his nose and flinched back from his own touch.

Everyone ignored Connie’s complaints as they stared at the entrance to the haunted park. As if the fog and darkness did not create a creepy enough vibe, the entry way was made of stone reminiscent of a castle gate. It even had its own drawbridge that was lowered and crowded with people ready to buy tickets. The line was almost as daunting as the idea of going through the park.

“Well, you’re alive and that’s what counts Connie. If it makes you feel any better I already bought the tickets for everyone. My treat!” Reiner pulled out a stack of tickets and passed them out to everyone. It was hard to miss the glint in his eye when Jean momentarily hesitated to take the ticket from him. “Scared, Kirschtein?”

“Hell no,” Jean lied.

“Good. We got a lot to see tonight and I wouldn’t want you chickening out just yet.”

Jean outwardly scoffed at the thought, but inwardly sighed. Combined with Ymir occasionally looking back and eyeing him, he already knew this was not going to be a good evening.

Rounding all his friends up, Reiner led the sizable group over the fake moat, through the dense fog, and into the Isle of Terror. Or Jean’s personal hell. Inside they found Bertl checking his phone impatiently. He gave the group an awkward smile before walking over to talk with Reiner about something. Rather than focus on the two giants, Jean shifted his attention to his friends.

Armin seemed perfectly content with himself, despite being in Jean’s oversized hoodie and plaid pajama shorts. On the other hand Eren was most definitely stressed. His breathing leveled during the car ride after the initial panic of Levi chasing them down, but he still seemed uncomfortable in the park. Perhaps Jean wasn’t the only one who hated haunted park. Jean didn’t even need to look at Connie to know he was still fuming about his nose.

“So options for the evening are swamp town, circus, butcher shop, hospital, and strip club. All haunted of course.” Reiner presented the choices, none particularly appealing to Jean.

With little protest from anyone the group followed Bertl towards the dilapidated circus tent. On the way there were numerous actors in costume to fit the general theme of the area; circus masters with pale skin, animal costumes with patchy fur and gaping wounds, and worst of all clowns missing eyes and carrying mallets or chain saws. Jean stayed close to his roommates and only flicked his eyes back to gage Eren’s reaction, which seemed to be doing about as well as him. Sasha clung to Ymir like a monkey on a tree and Marco stood proud albeit it by himself.

Once they reached the tent, they waited in line until the man at the front explained some rules for them.

“No running, no touching the actors, and only two to three people at a time. Don’t forget to scream too, makes my evening better,” the bored worker explained as a yawn escaped him. 

“Who’s first?” Reiner eyed his friends.

“Why not you? You bought the tickets,” Jean suggested.

“And let you back out? Nah.”

“I’ll go. Come Johnny Boy!” Connie volunteered, much to Jean’s chagrin.

“If you go then you’re coming with me.” Sasha disagreed, a sly smile appearing on her face.

Connie rolled his eyes, making no attempt to hide the rude gesture from her. This only made Sasha laugh further. “Let me guess, contract?”

“Bingo, Dorito dude.” Rather than attempt to fight the decision, Connie resigned himself to his fate.

“Onwards, Pringles!”

The pair made it about a minute in before the faint sound of screams could be heard over the low hiss of the fog machine. Armin and Eren decided to be brave and followed their friends into the tent. He almost missed it, but Jean saw Eren’s hand resting on Armin’s shoulder as they walked in. He shrugged it off as the two didn’t even round the corner and Eren almost fell backwards.

“The hell?!”

“It’s just a trick mirror Eren.” Armin refrained from giggling.

“I knew that…”

When they disappeared further into the maze, Jean swallowed hard as he knew he was the next to go. The question remained who was unfortunate enough to be paired off with him. He stepped towards the entrance and waited for someone to come forward, praying it wasn’t going to be Ymir. She grinned again and began to walk forward, but the other freckled kid cut her off. “Let’s go, Kirschtein.”

“Whatever you say, Bodt.”

They made it all of three steps before Jean jumped at his own reflection.

\---

“You’re awfully antsy for someone who isn’t scared,” Marco teased as they entered the third haunted house of the evening, the strip club.

“Can it, Bodt. If Reiner knew that he’d never let me live it down.” Jean glared at his TA. He had expected the gentle giant to be more of a scaredy cat than he was, but Marco seemed pretty much unfazed by everything they had seen in the circus or the swamp town. And undead hicks with prop shotguns were _terrifying_.

Marco stifled his giggles by pressing his fist to his mouth, but some of the childlike laughter escaped and earned another sharp look from Jean. His laughter ceased but an amused look remained as they finally cleared the dark hallway and entered the sultry den of the haunted club.

“Welcome to the Blood Club, boys,” a pale hostess greeted the two. She wore a tight purple dress that left absolutely nothing to the imagination. She hunched over and placed her hands on the corner of the podium in front of her, bringing her cleavage into view. “I hope you enjoy your stay.”

She licked her lips, revealing the sharp fangs in her mouth. Jean went wide-eyed and his brain fizzled out for a moment, thankfully Marco pulled him along by the arm. They heard some amused cackling behind them as they opened a creaky door to another darkened hallway. When they paused for a brief moment, Jean was able to note the look of discomfort on Marco’s face.

“What have we walked into?” Jean wondered aloud, not caring that Marco still had a hold of his arm.

“A godless hole of debauchery and hedonism,” Marco answered with a completely straight and serious face. They made eye contact for a split second before breaking out in laughter. The cathartic moment was brief as groans soon filled the hallways. Groans and moans.

As their eyes readjusted to the lowlighting, the shadows became clearer and they realized there were multiple doors in this hallway, some left ajar or completely open. Each little room had its own scene that ranged from downright terrifying to strangely arousing.

The first room had a man with a blindfold and a straightjacket chained to a seat as a lady in leather gave him what had to be the awkwardest lap dance Jean ever had the privilege of seeing. His TA seemed to agree as he quickly pulled him along to the next viewing area. While it lacked people, the message the room presented was quite clear to the two observers. There was an iron maiden closed in the corner with a faucet sticking out the front, blood dripping drop by drop into a half full glass.

Each remaining room had a variety of actors in different torture situations and actresses using an encyclopedia’s worth of Spanish Inquisition-like devices on their counterparts. Sometimes the roles were reversed but it did not making the viewing experience any more pleasurable to the two.

After what felt like an eternity the hallway was cleared and the guys made it into the lounge of the club, complete with pole dancers of both sexes in revealing clothes and covered in slashes and burns. They scooted along the edge of the room slowly as the same moans and groans from before began to eat at the two’s ability to process information. And while Jean would not admit it to Marco, he was beginning to have the most confused boner of his life.

The private show area repeated their earlier experience of different scenes being acted out in each small area. They proceeded to glide along it, preferring not to remain longer than necessary until they reached the end of the hall. Through the clear glass that separated the area they saw an actor with his head in a leather mask and a ball gag muffling his noises. He was tied backwards in a wooden chair, his back exposed to the pale vampire behind him. In an effort to appeal to all crowds Jean guessed, the vampire was a dude and he had a horse rider’s crop in his hand. He would flick it and the sound of something being hit echoed around the tiny room. The thin Plexiglas did little to muffled the painful sound, but there was no way the actor was getting hit, right?

Before Jean could continue his thought process, Marco and him stayed outside the viewing area long enough for the vampire to notice. He had two leather straps across his ghostly white but chiseled chest. His eyes were bloodshot red and his teeth yellow and pointed, only made creepier when he smiled at the two. He set the riding crop down and walked to the window.

“You boys interested in what you see?” he breathed heavily, a light southern dialect audible in the loaded question.

“Err- what?” Jean coughed but Marco was the one who was caught off guard by the question.

“You heard me freckled boy. I bet you put out.” The actor accused, winking at Marco. “I’m sure your boyfriend does too.”

“Okay, let’s go!” Jean grabbed Marco by the hand and forced him into the next area. He watched Marco’s eyes linger on the vampire as they left, raising some questions in his mind. But they vanished as quickly as they arrived when an undead preacher jumped from around the corner.

“Repent! You boys have sinned!” the man with a hatchet in his head yelled, getting both Marco and Jean to hug each other and shriek. They managed to untangle from each other and ran for the exit which was thankfully just behind the undead holy man.

Outside the club they breathed rapidly until they stopped shaking. They were the first ones into the haunted area this time, and they couldn’t have been more thankful. If anyone had seen how red either Marco or Jean were they might not have been able to live it down. They had just enough time to recover when Armin and Eren came tumbling out of the club like they had moments earlier. Eren was incredibly red while Armin looked just as normal as he had all evening.

“So, did you guys find Jesus?” Jean teased, able to bluff now that he had recovered.

“S-shut up. He had an axe in his head!” Eren exclaimed.

“At least we know why this area for only for over 18 years old.” Armin stated.

“Yeah. I’m still amused the last guy said you put out, Bodt. You’re like the most straight edge person that I know.” Jean laughed. Marco laughed nervously and pulled on the collar of his button down shirt.

“The priest said Marco put out? He said we were going to hell.” Armin quirked an eyebrow. He let go of Eren’s hand and wiped his sweaty palms on Jean’s hoodie.

Marco shook his head, unable to hide his reddening face. “No the vampire before that. I take offense to it!”

“Yeah well he offered to bend Armin over and whip him but this smart ass said sure. The guy broke character and died laughing.” Eren retold the encounter, pride for his friend evident in his confident tone.

Armin merely shrugged and stared at the door waiting for their friends. “He offered.”

Eren choked on his spit and was hitting his chest as Bertl waddled out of the door with Ymir and Reiner clinging on to him for dear life. No one noticed the light blush on Armin’s cheeks though.

\---

“Yes, she _loves_ Disney. That’s all she made us watch as kids,” Jean spoke, clearly becoming annoyed. His fear of Ymir all but evaporated into thin air when he learned her questions about Krista were the most mundane things in the damn world: her interests, what she liked, where she came from. All basic stuff she could learn if she talked to Krista herself.

“Are you sure, frat boy? No lying!” Ymir narrowed her eyes at Jean. He kept eye contact with her and nodded once more, only inching forward as more people entered the haunted hospital. “That settles it then.”

“Settles what?”

“Nothing.”

Jean shot her a questioning look, but Ymir merely kept her Cheshire Cat grin from earlier and seemed pleased with herself. Instead of being freaked out he opted to focus on the last creepy attraction ahead. Midnight steadily approached and Jean really just wanted to sleep. Still, he kept by Marco who seemed a bit antsy about this particular place. Hell, even Bertl and Reiner seemed psyched for it, almost undeservingly so. 

“Who’s going first this time?” Connie mused aloud, now that everyone had cycled through entering each place before the others.

“Jaeger and Armin should. Get the wimpy ones out of the way,” Jean taunted. He glanced back to see if he scored a rise out of his roommates and was shocked when he saw Eren staring coldly at the ground, frowning at something he couldn’t see. Armin kept an arm around his best friend but did not answer Jean’s taunt.

“Sure,” Armin agreed.

Disappointed by their reaction, he scowled and faced forward as the line inched ever closer to the crumbling white building that mimicked a hospital. It certainly had the dilapidated appearance of many of the other attractions, but the entrance was by far the largest and easily two to three floors high. Although the appearance was grand, Jean knew the attraction was more than likely another maze with medically related things in it. At the door, a nurse who actually had color in her cheeks, unlike the other workers, greeted the guests. She wore a typical scantily clad Halloween outfit but spattered in blood and she donned a thin paper mask over her mouth. She kept shouting information as she let pairs into the building, scribbling notes on her clipboard with a bloody syringe. When Jean got closer, he realized the syringe was indeed a pen.

“May I have your medical emergency?” She queried Eren and Armin as they approached the door, Eren limping slightly as he held onto Armin.

They looked at each other blankly before Armin gave her a puzzled look. “Uh, we’re perfectly healthy?”

The blond nurse nodded before opening the door. “One brunet with a shattered ankle and a blond chick with gender dysphoria!”

“Excuse me?!” Armin squawked. Reiner quickly shoved him in before a scene could be made. The nurse looked amused with herself before writing some more notes on the clipboard.

A minute passed before the nurse motioned Jean and Marco forward. Both boys hesitantly stepped towards the condescending nurse. “Medical emergency, hons?”

“He’s got anger management issues and I got a weak bladder,” Marco responded with a straight face.

“What does that mean, Bodt?” Jean ignored the soft chuckle from the nurse.

“Another brunet with a Napoleon Complex and a melanoma patient!” She announced into the door, leaving Marco briefly offended.

“I’m not even short!”

“But you’re French. Come along, Bonaparte.” Marco grabbed Jean’s arm and pulled him away from the laughing nurse.

“You don’t know if I’m French…” Jean mumbled as he reluctantly followed his freckled TA into the entrance.

Like he thought, they found a single dark hallway greeting them. It came complete with flaky but obviously fake chipped painted walls, if one could even call them walls. They looked flimsy at best. The dirty avocado colored tiling was reminiscent of the floors back at the University Hospital and sent a shudder down Jean’s spine. Flickering lights and discolored plastic tubing lined the hall, completing the chilling atmosphere.

Remaining close to his one source of familiarity, Jean and Marco crept along the hallway together. Jean was utterly thankful for the lack of viewing windows or tiny rooms to see what horror the hospital could wrought. That happy feeling died immediately upon entering the waiting room, where multiple mannequins and a few actors laid strewn about in chairs, some missing limbs and others merely groaning. Another bloody nurse at the desk motioned for them to keep going forward, contrasting her clean but bloody look and flesh colored skin with the aura of death and disease. “The doctor will see you now.”

Marco pushed the double doors to the next room open, only to be greeted by darkness and a flickering light, occasionally shining on what appeared to be a bloody operating table. Teal scrubs covered the body, obviously in mid operation as various tools were stuck and imbedded in the patient. The boys nervously scooted towards the table, waiting on the scare. A small flashing red light got their attention in the corner but before they could register any more information, the flickering light flashed on and the patient on the table sat straight up.

“Help me!” they bellowed, their voice surprisingly deep.

Jean jumped onto Marco, who promptly wrapped his arms around him. Out of the corner of his eye Marco saw a light above a small door and ran with Jean in tow towards it, all while they both yelled various obscenities at the patient. They got through the door and almost hit the metal wall in front of them. Both were panting, even though Marco did all the moving for them. A few minutes passed before their breathing steadied, however Marco recovered his temperament and sense of humor well before Jean.

“Not even a ‘no homo’? Rude,” Marco taunted Jean.

Still clinging to his TA, Jean turned his face and gave him the most deadpan look he could afford at the moment. “Fuck you and your ‘no homo’. Everything that happens tonight is your fault for forcing me along.”

“You jumped in the car.”

“It was either that or Dr. Ackerman. And I do _not_ want to meet that man on a Tuesday evening.”

The remaining tension sunk away as Jean detached his death grip from Marco and they started down the new dark hallway. “You could meet him here in the dark.”

“Touché.” Jean shuddered at the thought. “But no thank you.”

They reached what appeared to be a mad scientist’s lab; with chemicals of neon colors boiling, the sound of electricity crackling around them, and a wispy fog overflowing from a red cooler and coating the first few inches of the floor in its pale grasp. Jean and Marco ignored the yellow biohazard symbol on the red cooler as they slinked around the lab, shoulder to shoulder. Any chance for more immersion died when Eren’s loud voice carried into the room.

“FUCK YOU, DAD!”

A loud grunt followed that and the crackle of electricity overtook the area once more. It too was brief as another unmanly yell broke the ambiance of boiling chemicals, this time from behind them.

“NOPE!”

Something smashing and a loud thud echoed briefly before it too faded into the evening. The boys looked at each other in confusion but continued along the lab, keeping an eye out for any actors. Lucky for them it was a quick reprieve.

The next area was yet another dark hallway with a flickering light. To their shock, the actor was already in plain sight, but leaning against the wall. He had long frizzled dark hair and wire frame glasses, complete with a doctor’s coat. He looked to be in pain, gripping the bonesaw in his hand extra tight. As the two boys approached, the actor finally seemed to take notice.

“Sorry boys, I need like five more minutes to recover,” the actor broke character to inform them.

“Are you alright?” Marco asked, genuinely concerned for the man that should have them running for their lives.

“Yeah, just got kicked in the nuts. It’s the risk for scaring you guys. That last brunet has shins of steel I swear to God.”

Well, that explained Eren’s shriek. Jean knew his roommate was jumpy but he usually refrained from hitting anyone. Except Jean in high school.

They continued the rest of the way through the run down hospital before finally emerging to find Eren sitting on a bench with Armin massaging his back. Under the yellow light of the park’s lamp, Jean could see that Eren looked positively sick and pale. His normally tan face was almost as yellow as the light and he had his legs curled and pressed against his chin.

“Is he alright Armin?” Jean tentatively asked as he let go of Marco’s arm slowly.

His coworker looked up slowly before nodding, continuing the task of comforting Eren. This was definitely not Jean’s area of expertise and he motioned for Marco to follow him away from the two, opting to give them space. Marco glanced backwards once more before following Jean in the other direction from the door.

“Is Eren going to be ok?” Marco asked. The hesitation in his voice made it clear he knew he might be treading into personal territory.

“Yeah, he just needs some space.”

Jean folded his arms over his chest and pressed his back to the building. His TA copied his motions and leaned his shoulder against the haunted house. “Was that just me, or did he shout for his dad in there?”

The question snapped Jean’s attention from Eren and he shifted it towards his TA. He paused for a moment, taking the time to replay the events in his head. Marco watched as realization washed over Jean’s expression, his eyes slowly closing and a palm slapping his forehead. “That’s why he kicked the dude in the crotch.”

“Come again?”

“The doctor looked like his dad.” Jean explained slowly, as if the speed would allow him to fully grasp Jean’s thoughts. When Marco merely turned his head slightly, Jean figured out his point was not getting across. “Right, you didn’t grow up with us.”

“Correct.” Marco confirmed, keeping his tightlipped mouth.

“Levi isn’t his actual dad. He adopted him when Eren’s mother passed away from cancer and his father went crazy and ran off.”

“Went crazy and ran off?” Marco glanced back at his student. He shot him a look of concern but Eren was still staring blankly at the ground.

Jean uncrossed his arms and shoved his hands in his pocket. “I don’t know too much myself but his dad worked with my dad in the hospital and that’s all I know. Eren left during junior year and I didn’t see him until the start of senior year but he wasn’t the same. Whatever happened, he changed. He stopped arguing with people and he kept to himself, Mikasa, and Armin. “

Marco listened with rapt attention until the door swung open and their five friends exited, accompanied by two uncostumed employees. Sasha was attached to Connie much like Jean was to Marco earlier, while Ymir had tears in her eyes. Bertl carried Reiner bridal style. What Jean thought were tears of fear soon turned out to be tears of laughter as Ymir fell to the ground and started rolling on the floor laughing. 

“Oh my God…” Ymir wheezed, unable to catch her breath.

“Colossus, you’re my hero.” Reiner grinned widely at the giant carrying him, leaving Bertl with a look of general discomfort on his face.

“Please don’t let him drive until he gets medical attention.” The two employees requested before dropping their professional façade to laugh. “On a side note, that’s an awesome story. Stay safe.”

The two employees reentered the building and left the college students on their own.

“What happened?” Marco continued his motherly concern for his friends. Jean laughed inwardly since it was starting to be hilarious to him, almost endearing even.

“This dumbass… THIS DUMBASS… oh my God…” Ymir couldn’t even complete her sentence before falling victim to her laughter.

“He saw the guy on the operating table and ran through the wall. And hit the other wall.” Bertl answered. “And he dented it with his head.”

“I may have a concussion.” Reiner smiled.

The commotion caught the attention of the two on the bench and soon they joined the others. Eren had regained his color but Armin still appeared nervous. Jean caught his eyes constantly checking on Eren, not that he would blame him. Eren was his best friend after all and even Jean was kind of worried about his violent reaction.

“I’m glad to hear you’re okay but I still have an 8am lecture on Thermodynamics. Can we go?” Jean broke the silence, promptly receiving a stern look from Armin.

“Sure. Ymir, can you watch Reiner while I go fetch my equipment?” Bertl asked his girlfriend.

“Oh, yeah. Before you do that though, I want to let you all know I’m having a Halloween party this Saturday at the field. Costumes are required and its Disney themed. Come as anything else and I’ll kick you out.” She smiled wickedly.

Her eyes flicked over to Jean for a moment before returning to Reiner.

“I’ll take them in the Dump Truck then. You guys have Bertl’s car, right?” Marco pulled the keys from his pocket and flashed them to Ymir.

“Of course. Go be a dear and make sure Frat Boy gets his beauty sleep for class.”

Taking a cue, Marco gestured his students and roommate to follow him and they all sluggishly walked to the cars, each staying close to their partner for the evening.

\---

The car ride back was quiet and uneventful. Marco managed to actually drive normal instead of a bat out of hell, much to everyone’s appreciation. When the dorm came into view, Marco simply parked the rust bucket of a van away from everything and did it gently. Connie seemed visibly pleased with the gesture.

“Well, that was quite the adventure. Thanks for coming along.” Marco said as they walked from the car to the dorm.

“Not that we had much choice,” Connie replied. He pointed a finger towards Sasha next. “And you need better self-control, Pringles.”

“Thank you for being my meat shield.” She nodded.

“Meat shield? You tossed me at three different people and a mannequin. I was a friggin’ boomerang if anything!”

“You always came back. So thanks.”

Connie shook his head and shrugged. “Don’t worry about it.”

As the group climbed the stairs to the fifth floor, Connie let his hair down and shook it a little. Being a comedian, Sasha untied her hair and copied Connie’s movements. He ignored her as the others quietly laughed.

Once they reached their floor, everyone waved goodbye and returned to their rooms. Jean unlocked the door and prepared to poke fun at his roommates, but the dark room that greeted him shut him up. They had left in a rush, but Jean swore he did not turn off the lights. Hell, they never turned them off at night anyways. Deja vu with the park already had him on edge.

When he flipped the switch on, sitting in the middle of the room in a chair was their anatomy professor. Levi had his ever-present bored expression, gripping his cane in his right hand.

“Holy shit!” Jean jumped backwards and knocked all his roommates down like dominos.

“The hell Kirschtein?” Eren all but yelled.

“The hell indeed, Jaeger,” Levi coldly greeted. Their professor stood up and closed the distance between them. Each of the boys remained on the floor as Levi surveyed them with his hollow eyes.

Connie pulled himself up and Armin along with him. A quick glare from Levi got Jean jumping to his feet, but Eren remained where he fell. “Is this how you spend your school nights, going out late and partying? No wonder you failed the make-up quiz.”

“Uh— I don’t always—”

“Save it. We’ll have this discussion after class on Thursday. I _pray_ you study for your next practical and do well on the next project. Pick your group and subject wisely. More than your grade depends on it, Eren.”

The boys watched in silence as Levi stepped over Eren and limp away, his cane providing the extra dramatic flair by echoing down the silent hallway. He entered the elevator, turning around to send one more glare at the room as the doors shut on his face.

Eren closed his eyes and brought himself up. He slumped over and dragged his feet towards his room. Armin went to help, but the instant he touched his friend, Eren shrunk away. “Leave me alone, Armin.”

“But—”

“I’ll be fine!” Eren snapped. Armin’s eyes widened and he immediately pulled his hands back. Eren must have realized how harsh he sounded since he covered his mouth swiftly, only pausing to mutter an apology to Armin and slink away into his room.

Armin walked to the chair in the room and fell into it, hiding his face in his hands.

“I’ll be hitting the sack. See you guys later.” Connie shuffled over to his room, not enjoying the awkward atmosphere any more than Jean.

“Thank you, Jean,” Armin mentioned in a hushed breath, preventing Jean from making any hasty retreats.

“For what?” Jean wondered.

“Getting us back. Why did you lie? I take Thermo, not you.” Armin peered towards him, allowing Jean to understand how tired the kid really was. His bright blue eyes were definitely dimmer and faded.

Jean shifted his weight from foot to foot as he thought of his reasoning. He could’ve easily said that Armin had the class, yet he took blame himself. “You had your hands full with Jaeger and looked ready to leave. It was the least I could do to help you.”

“Why?”

“Does that really need an answer?” Jean shrugged. He strolled over to the fridge and removed two bottles of water. “You spent the entire evening watching him. Even you deserve a break.”

He tossed a bottle of water over to Armin, who caught it at the last second. “True. Haunted houses aren’t his thing.”

“So aren’t doctors apparently.”

Armin froze in the middle of opening the bottle and looked at Jean. “You know about that?”

“I _heard_ that. Is Jaeger ok?”

“Yeah, it just caught him… well us, off guard.”

Succeeding in removing the gap, Armin began to down the water. “I see. Are you ok?”

“Why me? He’s the one who kicked the guy.”

“Because you need to take care of yourself. And it’s what friends do.” Jean informed Armin, as if this were new information.

His roommate stopped downing the water and stared at Jean once more. A tiny smirk crawled onto his face and he set his water down. “You’re right. It’s what they do.”

“Damn straight. It’s all you ever do for that ungrateful prick.” Jean soured the good mood with his opinion, but Armin ignored the barb. “Either way, I’m heading to bed. Keep the hoodie by the way.”

“Huh?” Armin completely forgot he had borrowed the clothing from his roommate.

“I’ll get it later. Night dude.”

Jean waved goodbye to Armin, turning to return to his room. He stretched his arms and yawned as he prepared mentally for sleep. He missed Armin mumbling something behind him.

“Friends… maybe a turtle? No wait, I know!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoops, my Jearmin is showing. But that's going to be another fic, not this one.
> 
> Sorry for the delay in getting this out but I hope you guys had fun reading it because writing it was a blast imagining these guys reacting. All reactions are based off personal experience and from friends. I also hope you guys caught the reference to Like a Drum, i might have borrowed my favorite line for a small bit and reworked it.
> 
> A little more about Eren appears, Jean and Marco finally start interacting more, and Armin begins scheming so fun stuff. Please let me know what you thought about this as well as the descriptions because I'm trying to include them more to improve my writing and I love critiques. So all comments, kudos, and such are appreciated. Or send me a message on [tumblr](http://firegrilled.tumblr.com/) if that's your thing. I'll answer any question or such if you guys have 'em.
> 
> Part of the reason for the delay was [this](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4242621) side piece for the Eremin people, but it actually has very relevant info to the story.
> 
> The bigger reason is the [other oneshot](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4326705) I posted last week. An idea got stuck in my head and I spent the weekend getting it out of my head. If you like Erejean its a good read but I'm also damn proud of it because I think I wrote it very well.
> 
> Next Time: Jean's family appears! Well, his baby bro does.


	13. Trick or Treat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Connie and Eren continue to make poor life choices, and Jean gets a treat or two.

“Switch,” Annie ordered, pushing the bar towards Jean. He helped her place it back on the rack before trading places with her on the bench press.

The bright lights of the gym momentarily blinded him when he took proper form below the bar, echoes of shifting weights and grunts of the other students filling the air around the two in the gym. Jean paused for a moment to steady his breath before lifting the bar once more, with a little help from Annie. “You never said… how your dance went…”

Her watchful eyes didn’t so much as blink at Jean’s statement. “Which dance? I had at least three or four.”

“You know who.” Jean rolled his eyes at her feigned ignorance.

“Well your girlfriend is light on her toes,” Annie mused, maintaining her stoic expression. A pang of jealousy and annoyance resulted in Jean shooting her a quick glare.

Jean’s arms began to tremble as he took a few more quick breaths. He wasn’t about to let Annie get to him though. “I know. I danced with her too.”

On his last rep, Annie helped him rack the bar. Jean took a few moments to lay there, facing the ceiling while he recovered his breath. His friend’s bored look did little to unnerve him or motivate him to vacate his spot. She twirled her hand and that got Jean to roll off the seat.

“Add ten pounds to each side,” Annie requested as she took her position. Jean complied with a brief nod and he fetched the weights. He glanced around at the other students that all seemed to be lost in their workouts. On the track he saw Mikasa jogging around with Eren trailing her. He shook his head and continued the task at hand. After some scavenging he clipped the weights in place on the bar and prepared for the next round of spotting his workout partner. “Armin is surprisingly coordinated.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, you should try him next time. I’ll trade you dates,” Annie smirked from the bench. Jean’s nonplussed reaction only widened her smirk. “It’s never too late.”

“Too late for what? And you know who I’m curious about.”

“To rediscover your latent homosexuality.” Annie racked her weights without Jean’s help.

He retook his place on the bench and prepared for the next round. “That’s your thing, not mine. How was Jaeger?”

“Danced stiffer than the stick up your dad’s ass but he relaxed when he realized I didn’t bite,” Annie recalled. Jean wanted to laugh but his rough breathing prevented anything other than giggles from escaping him.

“One day you’re gonna have to tell him. He’s been pinning for you ever since middle school,” Jean informed her.

“Unlike him, I’m not totally blind when someone is desperately head over heels for me.” Annie copied Jean’s earlier gesture, rolling her eyes at the thought. Her choice of words were not lost on Jean though.

“Who has a crush on Eren?” Jean quirked an eyebrow.

A look of surprise momentarily flashed across her face, but it vanished in an instant. Any suspicions Jean had faded when another tiny smile graced her lips. “You do. Didn’t you two in high school…”

“One time! And that was clearly a mistake.” Jean froze with the weight above him, his arms shaking under the pressure. He took a few quick breaths before continuing his reps. “Besides, I’ve been chasing Mikasa a lot longer. And she at least reciprocated.”

“Does she?” Annie mumbled as she let go of the weight.

The bar came crashing down on Jean’s chest and he began to heave. “Annie!”

She snapped out of her thoughts quick enough to grab the weight and help Jean rack it. He coughed a few times before casting an icy glare at his partner. “A little heads up before you drop it next time?”

“You can take it,” she deflected the blame and walked towards the nearby water fountain. Unlike their friends running on the track, Jean and Annie opted to use the fountains provided by the gym. Cheap and just as effective.

Jean’s eyes remained on Annie, his foot tapping impatiently as he waited his turn. “You’re going to have to tell Jaeger one day you don’t bat for that team. Otherwise he’s gonna keep chasing you like a lost puppy.”

“Why don’t you tell him?” Annie offered, stepping back from the fountain.

Jean shrugged and replaced his scowl with a smirk. “His pain brings me joy.”

“You’re terrible.”

“Right back at you.”

“It runs in the family.”

Jean nodded as he drank the refreshing water, with little regard for the mess he was creating around the fountain. From their spot, both were able to watch the track for a few minutes as Mikasa switched between jogging and sprinting, but Eren was never far behind walking at a brisk pace.

\---

The promise of fresh hell from anatomy did little to motivate Jean to get out of the bathroom. He already finished his business earlier and his blank stare reflected his mind in the mirror ahead of him. Water went from the faucet, through his fingers, and down the drain. Connie would’ve killed him with the amount of water he was wasting by being lost in his thoughts.

“Come on, Jean!”

Speak of the devil.

“Yeah, coming.” Jean turned off the water and shook his hands dry, nearly knocking over someone’s contact case. He paused for a moment to cast a questioning look at the contact case because no one in the dorm had those, right?

He opted to ignore it and dried his hands on his jeans. Exiting the bathroom merely meant going from one situation to the next though, as he found Armin waiting patiently outside Eren’s room. Apparently Jean wasn’t the only one not so keen on going to class.

“Eren, we gotta go now,” Armin informed his best friend.

“Go without me,” a tired voice called back.

Armin let out a silent puff of air, slowly shaking his head at Eren’s childish response. Jean watched silently as Armin made another attempt to coax his friend out of his room.

“Levi won’t kill you. And it’s better to get it over with than to let it drag out.”

“Jaeger, if I come home to Levi sitting in the dark I will personally emasculate you after I recover from my heart attack.” Jean threatened, the thought sending chills down his spine. His input was clearly not wanted since Armin’s frosty gaze essentially told him to keep his trap shut.

Despite the harsh tone of Jean’s warning, Eren’s door slowly creaked open. Considering the task complete, Jean returned to the living room and grabbed the remainder of his stuff for class. He found Connie dawdling by the door, glancing at his watch and his phone. Jean cracked a small smile at the little display of nervousness. Eren was the one about to get torn a new asshole yet Connie was the one worried about getting to class on time.

His nerves were put to rest their roommates emerged from their side of the dorm. Armin appeared quiet and reserved with his best friend. Jean took a moment to appreciate Eren’s disheveled hair and heavy bags under his eyes. As much as it was an opportunity to trade some barbs with his one-time rival, kicking someone when they were down was not something Jean partook in anymore. His scowl returned and Jean nodded at Armin, indicating it was time to go. Armin offered a grateful smile as they left for class.

Unlike their usual cheerful banter, the dark cloud of distress that hung over Eren prevented any of that from happening. Jean kept himself and Connie away from the two, recognizing when someone needed their space or their closest confidant. Or in this case both. Instead, he kept his attention on his best friend who was busy mumbling directions and letters to himself.

“Having a stroke over there?” Jean wondered.

Connie’s eye roll confirmed he was of sound mind and his grin meant he was probably going into a rant. “No, my good sir, I’m not suffering from any such thing. I’m replaying combos and such in my head for the Smash Bros tournament this weekend.”

“How are you doing that without a TV? You’re just mumbling stuff to yourself.”

“I can picture it perfectly in my head,” Connie pointed to his noggin. Jean just shook his head at his friend’s ridiculousness. “Seriously! It’s why I kick ass.”

“Says the guy who lost to me last time.”

“That was dumb luck! And friggin’ Brotato. Play this weekend and I’ll kick your butt easily.” Connie challenged, but Jean had other plans. Still, he had almost forgotten about the masked Smash player that kicked Connie’s butt and guaranteed Connie’s favorite beanie a much needed wash. In all honesty Jean was more curious if the player would return to the tournament again. He’d just have to wait until Connie reported back to him.

“No thanks,” Jean rejected the offer. “Halloween party to go to. You gonna come?”

Despite being on such short notice, the invitation to Ymir’s farm for a second round of partying and costumes sounded appealing. It was another chance to relax with friends and maybe get close with Mikasa again, assuming she went. He and Eren had already extended the invitation to Annie and Mikasa at the gym, but they were uninterested by the offer at best. All he had to do was throw together a quick costume, and he really only had two more days to do it. Maybe Reiner could get him something cheap from Target.

“Nah, I have to win the prize money.”

“Haven’t you paid Sasha back yet? It’s been like three weeks.” Jean rubbed the back of his head. Just how many cans of Pringles did he eat?

“I’ll pay her back after I win the tournament. I’m just going to buy the Pringles all in one go.”

Not that Jean could argue with his friend’s plan, a stray thought poked at his brain and he quickly realized something. “Doesn’t it cost money to enter the tournament?”

“Yes, but I’ll get more after I win.”

In contrast to the sorrowful pair walking behind them, Jean covered his mouth to prevent laughter from escaping. The look of confusion on Connie’s face begged for an answer to his unasked question. “After you win this time? You said that _last time_.”

That earned Jean a punch to the shoulder as they entered the college of science, marking a rare victory for Jean Kirschtein over Connie Springer.

\---

Jean and company managed to get to their seats before Marco or Levi appeared, even with their late start. Like before they kept to themselves, Connie and Jean discussing weekend plans while Armin and Eren softly spoke about something that Jean could not hear. Eren’s pale face rested on his crossed arms as Armin presumably told him words of encouragement. His friend even patted his back for more support; not that it seemed to be doing Eren any good.

Conversations ceased when the doors open and the familiar cane-hitting-hardwood floor sound reverberated around the lecture hall. Levi slowly moseyed toward the stage and his TA shuffled hurriedly behind him. Marco was carrying a stack of papers that would have been more foreboding if Jean knew what they were. They had already received their tests back and their practical wasn’t until two more weeks.

While Levi preoccupied himself with setting up his ancient laptop to the projector, Jean observed his TA for any hints of what was to come. Unlike the usual sympathetic glances or displays of fear, Marco was relatively tired and his body language was sluggish. After he sat the papers down, Marco tightened his beige scarf and straightened out his white button down shirt. If anything, the light colors seemed to make his freckles pop out more.

_How many of those things does he have?_ Jean thought to himself, the question provoking his curiosity. A question that would have to wait for after class since their expressionless professor finally turned his attention to the students.

“Today I’m making an amendment to the syllabus. There will be no midterm before Thanksgiving—”Levi began before a few cheering students cut him off. His icy stare quieted the room once more. “Anymore outbursts like that and I’ll bring the test back, on top of your new project.” Jean’s eyes flicked over to his professor’s and the sly smirk on the man’s face confirmed he heard him correctly.

Shit.

“I hope that dashed any hopes of this class getting easier. After some discussion with my colleagues I have decided to give you all another attempt to make up for your first miserable test. You all will be working in groups of four on a disease related to any system of the body. You’ll be in charge of describing the pathology, physiology, treatments, and describing the systems of the body it afflicts. Presentations will be during the week before, week of, and week after Thanksgiving all during lecture and labs. So get used to the idea of labs being the full four hours. Questions?”

Jean peeped briefly at Marco and saw the kid’s face drop. He felt the utmost sympathy for his friend because he looked like he just saw a puppy get run over by a car.

“How are we going to be graded and how does this impact our final grade?” Armin asked before raising his hand. If any normal student had an outburst like that Dr. Ackerman may have berated them, but Armin got by with just an annoyed look from him.

“It replaces a test and a practical so it’s worth a reasonable portion of your grade,” their professor noted. “The grade itself will be a mixture of content, how much the aforementioned sections are answered, and presentation. I will point out the grade sheet will be handed out before class is over, but make sure you review the points in the back. You may find a surprise back there.”

And on cue Marco began the tedious process of handing out the forms to the students. A piece of paper landed on Jean’s desk, but it was swiftly appropriated by one Armin Arlert who started scanning it immediately. Marco chuckled at the action and gave Jean another one as well as a sympathetic look.

“How do we pick groups?” Someone from the back inquired.

“Consider it a small gift on my part, but I’ll let you choose groups and your topics. If another group already has your topic, the second group will pick another. I want all groups submitted to me by the end of class. Any leftover people will be placed by me and their topic assigned as well.”

“Arm, I need you,” Eren latched onto his best friend, not that he had any other options.

Jean soon found someone wrapped around his arm. He turned to his right and saw Connie grabbing onto him. “Jean, it’s time to reform the old squad.”

“Impossible. Annie’s not in this class and Hitch is at a different college.” Jean retorted.

“I know! But Armin’s smart like Annie and Eren can be bitchy so it works.”

Jean shrugged and turned to face the other two, both clearly had heard Connie speak. It wasn’t like they were the obvious choice anyways since they lived together after all. That just left the question of the topic and Jean knew where that was going. “Titan?”

“Titan,” Armin confirmed, writing the information down on a piece of paper, probably to give to their professor.

A soft buzz from Connie’s pocket drew his attention, and Jean leaned over to see who bothered messaging him. To his knowledge his best friend still wasn’t on speaking terms with Mina and crew.

“Son of a bitch,” Connie cursed. He typed a reply and silenced his phone.

“What’s up?” Jean’s interest was now piqued.

“I forgot Pringles was in this class.”

“And?”

“Take a guess.”

“Contract?”

“Bingo.”

Jean snorted with laughter as he covered his mouth to prevent their professor from noticing. Connie clearly was not as amused with the situation as Jean was. His phone lit up once more and his head dropped. One frustrated message later and he put his phone away.

“And?” Jean gestured with his hand for his friend to continue, as if moving his hand in circles would get him talking.

Connie shrugged his shoulders. “I told her I was already taken and it’s out of my hands.”

“Is that going to bite you in the ass later?”

“Most certainly.”

\---

“Think he’ll survive?” Jean asked his coworker.

Armin peered over his reading glasses and set his book down. He pressed his lips into a tight line as he thought about it before taking his glasses off. “It’s Eren. I don’t think Levi will kill him.”

“He looked like hell today,” Jean commented as he placed another book on the cart.

“I would too if I knew Dr. Ackerman was waiting for me.”

Armin surveyed Jean as he decided what books to return to the depths of the shelves or keep potentially for Armin to peruse or even research for their project. Their group and topic were readily accepted by Levi, yet the glint in the professor’s dead black eyes only unnerved the four instead of reassure them.

“He made his bed so now he has to lay in it.”

“Eren doesn’t make his bed.” Armin revealed to Jean, maintaining a serious expression as he began to scavenge through the pile of journals that his coworker set aside earlier. He eagerly flipped through the table of contents. Meanwhile Jean had stopped what he was doing to gawk at Armin. Did he just make a joke? “And yes I was being serious.”

“Him and Connie have something in common then. Aside from making their situations worse.”

His coworker paused what he was doing to raise an eyebrow at Jean’s cryptic reply.

“What did Connie do?”

“It’d not what he’s done, so much as what he’s going to do,” Jean barely clarified. “Instead of paying Sasha back right away, he’s taking his saved money to enter the Smash tournament this weekend in hopes of winning it all.”

“That can’t possibly backfire,” Armin giggled. He placed a few journals next to him and the rest on the cart. Jean stopped what he was doing again to stare blankly at Armin. “What?”

“Are- Are you being sarcastic?”

“I’m a man of many talents.” Jean snorted with laughter as he placed the last of the books on the cart. “I’ll take those back into the stacks. Oh, are you busy Friday night?”

Jean strolled over to their shared desk and plopped into the comfy rolling chair they ‘borrowed’ from one of the study rooms. “Maybe getting my costume for the party, why?”

“Just getting a head count for dinner. But make sure you’re there. This one is important.”

Before he could figure out what that meant, Armin disappeared into the bookshelves with the cart, leaving his pile of journals and reading glasses behind. Rather than chase Armin into the stacks, Jean prepared for a moderately relaxing evening when a stray thought finally came back to him. 

_What am I going to dress as for Saturday?_

\---

The library was relatively quiet considering it was a less busy part of the semester, which made Jean’s job of doing absolutely nothing that much easier. Rather than read any of the journals or mess with his usual stack of comics, Jean dug out the sticky notes that Armin and him hardly ever used and began jotting down costume ideas for the weekend. If he liked one, he would write it down and stick it somewhere on the desk; if he didn’t then he had an excuse to throw something at the trashcan. Perfect plan to pass time.

Despite having no siblings in his childhood, his parents found ways to make playdates and keep Jean entertained. Sure they had their own television with its own collection of movies, but the bulk of his Disney upbringing was because of one certain friend his father felt inclined to keep bringing over: Historia Reiss. Well, Krista Lenz now.

While their fathers would discuss business, Jean, Historia, Annie, and sometimes Hitch would just relax in their living room and go from movie to movie, so Jean was well acquainted with most of the Disney princes and princesses, just not the obscure ones.

As a result of their constant viewing, everyone had their preference for a movie. Historia had a proclivity for Tangled, Jean binge watched Hercules, Hitch swore by Little Mermaid, and Annie finally found a love in Frozen. Though that was well after their childhood.

Yet with all his Disney experience, none of the princes really appealed to him. Being tall, white, and lanky with brown hair gave him a lot to pick from and after a good hour there were quite a few notes on the desk but none appealed to him. They all just seemed bland and Jean was anything but that, at least in his mind. He was confident, snarky, and a beanpole, yet only Flynn Rider stuck out to him. And as much as he could play that part, he didn’t really care for the guy.

“Busy today?” An inquisitive voice interrupted his train of thought. Jean glanced up from his post it note infested hell to find a Dr. Zacharius peering over the desk. In his hands were two bags, one whose contents were unknown to Jean and the other obviously filled with wine bottles.

“You could say that,” Jean admitted, crumpling another note and chucking it at the can. His paper swerved off at the last minute and landed in a small pile forming next to the bin. “There’s a Halloween party this weekend and I can’t think of a costume.”

Dr. Z tilted his head as he read a few of the notes on his desk. “Disney your only option?”

“It’s the theme. And none of the princes that I know are any cool.”

“Well you’re not even considering all your options then?” the doctor divulged. Jean perked up a bit at that thought, but he didn’t know what Dr. Zacharius was talking about.

“What do you mean?”

“For every prince and princess there’s always a villain.”

Jean opened his mouth but no voice came out. He closed it and raised a finger before finally finding a proper response. “That’s actually a good idea.”

“I’m a scientist, I’m full of them.” Mike bellowed with laughter. Jean shook his head, knowing he couldn’t deny it. There was a very good reason Dr. Z helped run his father’s lab and it wasn’t because he could reach the chemicals on the top shelf that his father couldn’t. “Which does remind me. Your father is opening up positions for next semester.”

“Really? I guess that means I’ll be getting a call about that soon.”

“Are you going to apply?”

“Don’t have a choice. It’s expected of me.”

Mike shot Jean a pitiable look but said no more. He worked with Jean’s father since the beginning of their college days so he knew his father just about as well as Jean, all his work habits and aspirations. It was no secret Jean was expected to follow in his dad’s collegiate and scientific path, it was family tradition. His grandfather helped discover the genealogy, his father was working on treatments and mitigating the disease, and jean would hopefully get the cure to Titan. It was the pattern Jean was told in high school, yet he had the feeling it was an idea his father had hidden for a while. Jean knew it and Mike sure as hell knew it.

Jean crumpled another note and picked up the key below it. He handed it to Mike, who smiled briefly before waving goodbye and slinking towards the study room in the back corner, glasses clinking along the way.

\---

Armin’s eventual return to the desk allowed Jean a chance to stretch his bones and meander into the stacks. While he had no particular destination in mind, he found himself wandering towards where Marco usually set-up shop in the library. It just occurred to him that his TA didn’t greet them at the desk, something that had become habit over the last few weeks. Concern began to bubble for a moment as he approached the hidden table, but it popped into nothingness when he heard a distinctly loud snore echo around the shelves.

Passed out in a sprawling mess of papers and books was his favorite TA. His cheek was pressed gracelessly into the table, freckles puffing out a bit more than usual, and his hair was matted against his forehead. A bit of drool glistened on the corner of his mouth, threatening to escape to the table below. Lucky for Marco there was no paper underneath his head, only a cellphone flashing about missed messages. Unlucky for him Jean had a camera on his phone. For someone who was normally the picture of pristine and nicely dressed, this provided a contrast to that image and gave Jean evidence his TA wasn’t perfect. Also he had potential blackmail. He took a few pictures at different angles before nudging his TA awake.

Marco’s eyes fluttered open slowly, flinching a bit at the light above. Slowly, he pulled himself from the table, stretching his arms above his head, a loud crack made Jean flinch. His TA took notice of him and, with still tired eyes, spoke to Jean, “You’re not supposed to be here after I wake up.”

Jean quirked an eyebrow at that comment before Marco’s eyes widened and bulged out briefly, sleep vacating his expression. His previously smushed cheek flared red, hiding the countless freckles that dusted his cheeks. He quickly tried to recover his composure, and hid his look of surprise. “What?”

“What?” Marco repeated back, his tone neutral. Jean opted not to probe him about that comment.

“I heard snoring so I wanted to see what was going on. You not get enough sleep or something?” Jean interrogated, crossing his arms over his chest.

Waving a hand in front of his face, Marco wisped away Jean’s concerns before chuckling. “No I didn’t. Someone had to make those grade sheets for your project.”

“You made those in one night?” Jean replied awestruck. Those packets had been more than a few pages, there was no way Marco made all of that in one night. To Jean’s utter surprise and dismay, Marco nodded his head. “I knew Levi was an asshole but to make all of those in one night? Jesus.”

Marco scratched the back of his head, shaking the hair loose. His face reddened once more as he clarified more for Jean. “Well… he wanted them Tuesday but I figured might as well get them all done.”

“But why? Just do a little bit here and there until then.” Jean tried to reason, not caring that it was already finished.

“I need as much of an edge as possible if I want to be in Levi’s lab next semester. He was happily surprised when I brought in the papers this morning,” Marco explained before another yawn escaped his throat.

Shaking his head at Marco’s stupidity, Jean took a seat next to him. “There are numerous other doctors you could apply to here, why him?”

“He’s the best in the field for Titan, I believe.” Marco answered rapidly, his voice not missing a beat. Gone was the tired and nervous persona Jean was talking to a minute ago, replaced was a new more adamant fan. “I’ve read numerous journals and articles from many different labs but none read as well or seem as creative as the approaches his lab has been trying.”

“Yet none of his approaches have worked in years.” Jean dully pointed out.

Not expecting a comment like that, Marco stopped speaking. “Yeah, but no one else’s has either. At least he’s tackling it from a variety of angles.”

“Angles that make little to no sense. Creativity doesn’t solve all problems and wastes precious money that could be invested in more practical approaches.”

“Yes, but if the practical approach results in butting your head against a wall, it’s better to try attacking the problem from a variety of angles before dismissing them all as ‘a waste’ or ‘hogwash’.” A new voice joined the debate. Marco and Jean turned their attention to the intruder of their conversation, finding a scientist facing them. Well Jean assumed it was a scientist because they had an unbuttoned lab coat and goggles over their eyes. Their hair was pulled back into a bun that had multiple colorful pens sticking out of it. The bizarre outfit seemed familiar to Jean but he couldn’t quite place where he had seen such a get-up.

“You are?” Marco finally asked the question banging at Jean’s brain.

“Oh, sorry! Dr. Hanji Zoe, stem cell specialist and current Titan enthusiast.” They smiled.

It clicked in Jean’s mind where he recognized the scientist.

“You spoke to the hospital.” Jean stuck his finger at the doctor.

“One and the same. Always a pleasure to meet a fellow scientist.” They stuck out their hand, waiting a minute before Jean realized he was supposed to shake it. “Pardon my intrusion your discussion, it’s just something that’s very near and dear to me. Oh, are those Titan journals? It’s not often I find someone else researching it too!”

The sudden intrusion of Dr. Zoe derailed any more questions Jean had for Marco, so he decided to leave the TA with their new friend and abandoned him to a seemingly endless barrage of questions. Marco’s face screamed for help as Jean excused himself for work, but Jean merely gave him a devilish grin. The look of despair in his TA’s eyes on served to improve Jean’s mood further.

\---

Friday rolled in without too much stress for Jean or his roommates. All he had on his schedule was getting supplies for his costume now that Dr. Z’s suggestion lead to an idea Jean couldn’t get out of his head, no matter how hard he tried. All he had to do was contact Reiner for a trip to Target and Hitch for hair advice. The thought of Halloween got him giddy for the first time in years. No longer was the joy of Halloween receiving free candy that his mom would fruitlessly try to throw away, but now an enthusiasm to dress up and party with his friends. The anticipation had him positively glowing.

Acquiring the materials at Target was mindlessly easy with Reiner’s encyclopedic knowledge of the aisles. If he applied that kind of effort to his school work who knows how successful he would actually be with his grades. It took all of two items for Reiner to accurately guess who Jean was dressing up as; Jean’s confirmation only served to make Reiner excited for the party as well. There was a sale in the toys section that gave Reiner his costume idea, and the thought of it had Jean holding himself so he wouldn’t shake from laughter.

“She’s going to kill you, dude,” Jean remarked between laughs.

“She can’t kill both her boyfriend and I. Plus its _technically_ Disney,” Reiner defended his choice, grinning from ear to ear.

“I know it is, that’s why it’s hilarious.”

After their shopping spree, Jean returned to the dorm for the Friday night dinner Armin liked to pride himself on. Jean’s roommate and coworker had extra hours at the library on some Fridays so it baffled Jean that he could simply go from class to work to cooking, yet Armin seemed content with it. Hell, he was actually whistling a little tune when he returned to the dorm to grab more ingredients, wearing nothing but his bacon apron, a sleeveless cut-off, and running shorts that stopped right below his butt. How were those even comfortable? Still, he could pull it off. Not that Jean would ever say that to his face.

“Jean! How was shopping?” Armin noticed him as he dropped his bags on the table. 

“Productive. I’m ready for tomorrow night. You going?” Jean pulled the dark clothes out of his bag.

“Of course. Annie has mine.”

Armin gathered a sauce from the fridge that Jean couldn’t see as well as a pile of seasonings. Whatever he was making looked like it was going to be good. Jean’s stomach growled and caught Armin’s attention, earning a giggle out of the smaller kid.

“Fifteen minutes and you’ll get food, I promise.” Armin notified Jean’s bowels. With that, he turned to leave the room and retreat back to the questionable communal kitchen.

Hearing the sounds of things exploding, Jean ambled over to the couch and sat next to Eren. His roommate’s eyes were focused intently on the Mario Kart race ahead of him; his tongue peeked out of the corner of his mouth. Eren’s face scrunched as he hunched over closer to the controller, as if it would help his character accelerate or get better items. He barely mumbled a greeting to Jean when he joined him on the couch.

Jean waited until the race was finished before he dared asked the question weighing heavy on his mind. “So what happened?”

Eren’s brief victory celebration ended. His face mimicked Levi’s normally emotionless expression. “I got chewed out.”

“And?” Jean tried to encourage him to divulge more information.

“If we fail this Titan project a lot more than just my grade is going down the drain.” Eren shuddered at the thought before setting down the N64 controller. As much as Jean wanted to follow up, the bad vibe Eren was giving off told him to cut it out.

A heavenly smell filled the dorm when Armin returned with a frying pan in one hand, still sizzling, and a bowl of steaming spaghetti in the other. The aroma lured Connie out from his room, as well as the two gamers from the television. Jean quickly took his shopping bags from the table and stashed them in his room while the others got the plasticware ready for food.

“Pasta with Italian chicken,” Armin announced with glee. Connie let out a whoop and the idea of chicken got Jean’s mouth drooling and his stomach gurgling. Eren seemed less than impressed though.

“What’s the occasion?”

“I got the thing for Jean,” Armin explained. “Come with me, Jean!”

Confused by the turn of events, he still followed his roommate per his request. Armin guided him towards his room and brought him inside. Jean froze to observe how impeccable Armin kept the place. His bed was neatly made with a small stack of plushies at one end, his desk was readily organized with his books already piled for his homework for the weekend, and his nightstand had nothing on it except a light and a loose cable for charging his phone. The only thing that seemed out of place was a small dented filing cabinet next to his bed.

Armin bent over to go rummaging through a pile of grocery bags, giving Jean a clear view at his ass. He was startled out of his wandering thoughts when Armin sprung back up.

Small moments like that reminded himself why he never admitted to playing for either team.

“Here you go!”Armin handed him a neatly wrapped box. 

Resisting the urge to shake his present, Jean flipped it around in his hands. Whatever it was, it was light and barely made a sound as he rotated it. He almost forgot the most important thing though, before he hurriedly spoke to Armin. “Thanks! What’s this for?”

“Being my friend. Now open it!” Armin’s enthusiasm was apparent with how his eyes sparkled. He clenched his hands into little balls at his sides, eagerly waiting Jean’s reaction. Not one to keep his friend waiting, Jean opened his early Christmas present and threw the paper aside with little regard for Armin’s clean room. He barely noticed the other two roommates lingering at the doorway.

“I bet it’s a horse.” Connie wagered.

“I got a seahorse, so it better not be. Though that’d be fucking gold.” Eren agreed.

Ignoring the snide remarks, Jean pulled the cover off the box and revealed a stuffed animal. He picked up the incredibly soft alligator by its neck, dropping the box so he could hold it with two hands. “The hell?”

“So, what do you think?” Armin wondered, his mouth slightly open as he waiting for Jean’s response.

“Err, it’s very soft?” Jean struggled to come up with a decent reply, but his comment had Connie and Eren on the floor with laughter. “What?!”

“That’s better than Thomas’ reaction. He awkwardly stared at it for like 2 minutes before he responded.” Connie wheezed, laughter wracking his body.

“Do you like it though? I thought it fit you…” Armin seemed slightly afraid of Jean’s response after Connie’s grim reminder.

“Actually alligators were my favorite animal in elementary school. Lazy and badass, like me. Thanks Arm!”

His friend let out a sigh of relief before a small smile cracked his worried visage. “Come on, everyone. Let’s go eat some chicken.”

\---

“Do you think you can work with it?” Jean spoke into his phone, hesitant about Hitch’s abilities.

“Of course I can work with Target brand hair products. It’s shitty but it should do the trick. Did you get blue dye?” Hitch snapped back.

“Hair spray, not dye. My hair is staying brown, even after this costume.” 

Jean ran a hand through his long precious locks absentmindedly. He kicked the door open to Stohess Hall as he struggled to get through without the grocery bags hooked on his elbows hitting the doorframe. His phone balanced precariously between his ear and shoulder, almost slipping as he managed to slither through the entryway and into the elevator.

“I’m just saying blond tips would—”

“Hitch, no.”

“But—”

“No means no. Get here to do my hair and we can get going with Annie to the party.”

“Fine. I’ll be over in like an hour.”

Without so much as a goodbye, Jean ended the conversation. The elevator dinged open on the fifth floor and Jean continued his balancing act with all the candy he promised Ymir he’d bring to the party, if only to make up for the fact Krista wasn’t arriving with him. Expecting the door to be open, Jean grabbed the handle to turn it and kept moving on instinct, not noticing the stiff handle. He went face first into the door, followed by a loud bang that echoed down the hall.

“Connie, open the damn door!”

The door opened and revealed a panicked gamer. Unable to bring himself to care about his best friend’s frazzled appearance; Jean pushed his way past Connie and discarded the bags on the floor. Stinging pain lead him to scour the fridge for anything remotely cold and he settled on a bag of frozen corn in the freezer. His breath hitched when the corn touched his nose. Finally with his pain under control, Jean took some interest in Connie’s disheveled look.

Connie was still dressed in his pajamas, hair splayed out in every direction. The grease in his hair shined under the yellow lighting of the dorm. Completing what Jean affectionately dubbed the ‘Finals Look’ were the heavy bags under both eyes.

“Not even a trick or treat?” Connie joked. Not dignifying that with a comment, Jean gathered the bags of candy together. His best friend ogled the grocery bags. “Food?”

Casting a cold glare, Jean warned Connie, “Yeah, but not for you. Come to the party and you’ll get some.”

“No can do, Gene. Gotta win a tournament today. Once I win, I shall celebrate with beer at the best bar in town.” Connie planned, his confidence seemingly returning. Not entirely believing his best friend, Jean shrugged his shoulders and let him be. Connie finally decided to retreat to the bathroom and the sounds of the shower reached Jean’s ears.

However, any chance for quiet disappeared when another bedroom door opened and a bickering pair of blondes spilled into the living room. Annie appeared dressed in her ice blue dress from the Homecoming dance while Armin was in a leafy green outfit with glittery fairy wings. His hair was completely let down just like Annie, but the costume’s poufy skirt stopped just hallway above his knees. Both seemingly missed Jean as they were lost in debate.

“I do it here because I’m comfortable here. A party is a whole different story!” Armin complained, his face flushed red like a cherry tomato.

Annie shrugged her shoulders and crossed her arms, maintaining her indignant aura. “It’s Halloween, the one time of year where it’s socially acceptable to crossdress. Besides, I’m Elsa and that’s final. If you want to try to find another costume in the next hour be my guest.”

Resigning himself to his fate, Armin groaned and ran a hand down the front of his face. “I hate you.”

“Thanks, Tinkerbell,” Annie replied, a hint of smugness in her voice.

“Everything ok?” Jean finally made his presence known, startling Annie and causing Armin to jump. His little fairy wings bounced along with him.

Taking a moment to regain his composure, Armin responded by pulling the edges of his emerald green skirt further down. “Everything is fine. I just have to get used to the idea that I’m wearing this tonight.”

“Good luck,” Annie taunted. She turned and faced Jean, appearing more calm and collected in her costume than Armin. “I’ll be back to collect you and Hitch in two hours.”

Content with her choice of words, and seemingly pleased with Armin’s shy reaction, Annie decided to leave and retreat to her corner of the building. Jean attempted to reach out to Armin, quite literally, but he stomped back to his room mumbling something about ‘saving face’. 

In a rare moment of peace and quiet, Jean took advantage of his situation the way any normal college student would and quickly retrieved his laptop from his room and started Netflix. His costume was already mostly together and he just needed to wait for Hitch to arrive so he could do his hair and get ready for the party. Connie had games to play and Armin had to get over his embarrassment, from what Jean observed. That just left Jaeger unaccounted for. A small vibration from his pocket led Jean to assume that was the devil messaging him.

**Levi’s Bitch**  
_Annie still there?_

**Me**  
_No_

At least Eren seemed to have a one track mind.

**Levi’s Bitch**  
_Good. U know what shes wearing?_

And he was predictable.

**Me**  
_Gym clothes_

**Levi’s Bitch**  
_Costume asshole. Whats her costume?_

Jean smirked, content with the harmless and lame joke. He typed out Annie’s Frozen costume when a mischievous idea crossed his mind, and a devilish grin appeared on his face.

**Me**  
_Tinkerbell, like High School. Why?_

Rather than continue watching Ancient Aliens, damn Armin for that addiction, Jean paused and waited for Eren’s prompt response. His impatience was rewarded in less than a minute.

**Levi’s Bitch**  
_Thanks. Should I b Peter Pan? I got like 5 min until Reiner buys me a Hulk mask._

Hook, line, and sinker.

**Me**  
_Totally. She should like it._

Content with his little prank, Jean returned to his show and tossed his phone aside. The next response would probably be Eren thanking him until he realized the clever joke Jean played on him. In two hours he would be quite happy with the look on Eren’s face when he found Elsa instead of Tinkerbell.

Jean allowed himself to be completely absorbed by his show, to the point that he lost track of time until a knock at the room door reminded him of the incoming party. To his surprise, Connie was already on his way to answer it, probably Hitch ready to work her voodoo magic on Jean’s uncontrollable hair. He kept watching the show and ignored the conversation until someone kept calling his name.

“Jean. Jean. Jean Kirschtein!” A deep voice bellowed into the room. The fatherly tone alerted Jean to who his visitor was and he quickly jumped to his feet, nearly tossing his laptop to the floor. He skedaddled across the room and found Connie holding in laughter at the door while his father looked unimpressed. “There you are son.”

“Hello, father,” Jean greeted. His heart pounded in his chest, more from shock than fear. Why was his dad visiting him in the dorms, let alone on a Saturday afternoon? Better question was how did he know where to find Jean considering all the steps he tried to maintain his privacy from home.

“At least you still have your respect.” His father softened his gaze. He was dressed in a formal button down shirt, but not one Jean was familiar with. He didn’t have his lab coat or his ID badge, something that was peculiar for a man that thrived working seventy hour weeks. “I want to apologize for the surprise visit but I’m taking your mom to an appointment and… well it was kind of short notice. It’s out of town.”

Jean’s eyed widened and panic began to swell in his chest. “Is mom ok?”

“Yes, yes, she’s fine.” His father quickly waved his arms in front of him, his tone becoming nonchalant. “It’s just time was short and the appointment is a few hours away. And—”

Before his father could finish his statement, Jean noticed a tiny head peer from around his father’s thigh. A small mop of disastrous brown hair and baby blue eyes stared at Jean, his face unsure. His features were sharp like Jean’s, but more rounded around the edges. The little boy wore small yellow shirt displaying a piece of DNA on it and pint-sized jeans. Small hands grasped his father’s dress pants tightly. Jean’s skittish demeanor fell when he recognized the kid.

“Jaime?”

The little boy let go of his father’s pants and his blue eyes lit up with jubilation when he saw Jean. Jaime’s mouth gaped slightly before he ran over and squeezed Jean’s knees together.

“Jeanbo!” The little boy exclaimed, thrilled by the sight.

Jean glanced at the little boy, back to his father, and back to the boy. His father offered an apologetic look before he quickly put two and two together.

Somebody needed to watch his little brother.

“Trick or treat, Jean!”

“Damn it, father.”

Meanwhile in the corner of the dorm Connie was grabbing onto the chair, attempting to not fall over from laughter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes Jean’s little brother has a French pronunciation to his name. And yes he’ll be around for the rest of the story. And ironically I am in France for the day.
> 
> I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter; this took a while to write in between packing and getting ready to return to the US. I’m currently finishing a study abroad program so my free time is getting squeezed for the next two weeks so the next update will probably be 3 or 4 weeks out. 
> 
> Thanks for reading and as always all kudos, comments or messages on [tumblr](http://firegrilled.tumblr.com/) are appreciated. I read all of them and they help me continue writing and improving. Feedback let’s me know what I can improve and of what I’m doing is good. I hope you all are enjoying the slow build.
> 
> Next Time: Karma is a bitch at the Halloween party and all 104th squad ships finally begin to set sail, except Springles since they left the harbor before everyone. Also more Jaime, aka tiny shy Jean.


	14. What Goes Around

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Disney meets Snk and jean learns a valuable lesson about angering people.

If Jean were a tea kettle he’d be right at the point where steam would be whistling out of his ears, his anger simmering long enough to drive him into a foul mood. While he greatly appreciated being able to help his family any way he could, babysitting his baby brother during a Halloween party was not how he planned to spend his Saturday evening, especially when he wanted to get some alone time with Mikasa. He was grateful he was at least going to be able to see her; somehow Eren convinced her to go. Rather than be thankful for his roommate, he instead chose to simmer.

“Ya know, If you wait long enough your hair might actually combust and you’ll actually be Hades for Halloween,” Hitch spoke, sarcasm lacing her words. “I might not even have to do this.”

“Hardee har har, bitch.” Jean shook his head and stared at the plaster ceiling of the bathroom. His eyes quickly glanced at the door to make sure his nervous little brother wasn’t peeping in. If the kid was going to learn to curse it wouldn’t be from Jean, but he’d learn the old fashion way. From their father.

He crossed his arms over his tattered high school shirt, something Hitch insisted he wear for protection, and let out a deep breath. Hitch grabbed a spray bottle and began to water Jean’s hair as if he were a chia pet. “I have to admit, Hades is an ironic choice. Perfect, but ironic for you.”

“Yeah well if irony is the spice of life, then I break the fuckin’ Scollville Scale,” Jean gave a double thumbs up in the mirror, raising both eyebrows twice. He stared at his friend’s reflection, gauging her reaction.

It did not work.

“Ok first, that was a terrible joke, even for your costume. Second, keep quiet because I’m gonna work my magic and I can’t be distracted by shitty puns. I’m in the zone.”

“You’re in my bath— OW!”

Jean recoiled from Hitch’s punch and did his best to ignore his pounding head. He watched carefully in the mirror as Hitch dug into her bag of assorted bottles and began browsing for her chosen item. She had already insulted what Jean had bought since he failed to get the ‘right bottle for his hair’ and she repossessed his bottles for her collection in exchange for using one of her own. A deep blue bottle popped out of her expansive purse, Hitch flipping it around and examining it in her hand before she settled on it.

Faster than Jean could follow; the cap popped off, liquid poured into her hands, and hands massaged the liquid into his scalp. Contrary to her rough personality, her gentle hands worked the shampoo into his hair and he almost nodded off, eyes slowly closing under Hitch’s relaxing touch.

Memories of his mother entered his thoughts, filling him with both happiness and worry. Where his dad was the breadwinner and a slave to work, his mother at least tried to be the stay a home parent when she could. She had a career like his dad yet she managed to always carve out time when she could for her baby boy. It took Jean years to appreciate his mother’s sacrifices, big or small. Now it seemed too little too late and here he was complaining about doing something in return for her. The thought of her going on a spontaneous appointment with his father could only mean something was wrong. Perhaps her disease had worsened or some of the medicine was having another bad reaction.

His thoughts were interrupted by a bump on the head. “Wash the shampoo out of your hair and then we begin the transformation.”

“What? I thought you were already styling it.”

“Gotta clean your dirty ass hair before I can make a miracle happen.”

Grumbling the entire way to the shower, Jean stuck his tongue out in a final show of defiance before fulfilling her request.

\---

Armin twisted his back to observe how far the green skirt fell on his frame. While he was thankful Annie was kind enough to let him borrow her costume, he really wished it wasn’t Tinkerbell. Strutting around in short shorts and cut offs was one thing in the comfort of their dorm. He could deal with the weird looks from their neighbors since his roommates did not seem to care. But strutting about in a short green dress with fairy wings at a party was a different ballgame.

He shook his butt a little bit to see how much it would affect his fairy wings, sighing when they bounced right along with him. His moment of disappoint was short-lived. The door to his room slammed open with a masked Hitch sprinting into the room.

“Windows now!” She ordered, only pausing when she saw Armin with his ass towards her, wings still fluttering slightly.

“Wh-what?” he stuttered.

“Open the windows, Tinkerbell!”

Scrambling to do as he was told, Armin cracked his window open as far as he could. He had so many questions, almost forgetting the embarrassing outfit he was wearing, but when he turned around the intruder was gone. A few moments later the overwhelming smell of hairspray and aerosol crept into his room. He abandoned all reservations about his costume and his room, sprinting out into the common area.

“I apologize but I overestimated the hairspray for Jean,” Hitch announced to the room, which consisted of Armin, Connie, and a confused small child that Armin did not recognize immediately. “But the hair is done. And so is the make-up.”

Taking that as his cue, Jean emerged from the bathroom and waved a hand at everyone. “Hi everyone, name’s Hades, lord of the dead. How are ya doing?”

Gone was Jean’s long brown hair and now standing on end was a blue mess that was more reminiscent of bedhead instead fire. Still, Hitch had done an excellent job.

“Good news: it looks great. Bad news: this place is gonna need some time to fumigate.”

Rather than comment on his brother’s appearance, Jaime tilted his head and looked at Armin. “Tinkerbell is big.”

“Yeah she is, little buddy.” Connie smirked, not looking away from the television.

Jean remained frozen in place as his brother ogled Tinkerbell, patiently awaiting for Jaime’s attention. He received none of it, however.

“Okay, Mr. Lord of the Dead, lets get you in costume.” Hitch grabbed his old high school t-shirt and ripped it apart, revealing the grey shirt beneath.

“Hey, what are you doing?!” Jean went wide-eyed.

“Dressing his majesty.”

Hitch ran off towards Jean’s room, slipping in and out with a Target bag. Jean was unable to bring himself to move as Hitch pulled a dark cloth from the bag. She circled him like a vulture around its prey, waiting for the best moment to strike. When it came, he was completely unprepared. He barely noticed how it suddenly grew cold around his legs before he noticed his sweat pants were pulled to the ground. Pantsed in front of Connie, Tinkerbell, and his little brother.

There was little time to process panic or humiliation since the dark cloth was quickly wrapped around him. Hitch tied the toga off perfectly in one go.

“Ok, how?” Jean asked, still processing the events.

Rather than reply, Hitch stuck up her index finger and ran back into Jean’s room.

Jaime walked over to his brother and hugged his leg. “Hades!”

“How are you, ya little sun spot?”

Jaime giggled at the line and tightened his hold. He eventually broke off and ran towards the table where another Target bag sat. Having Reiner work there really came with its perks, namely discounts and last minute requests.

“That got delivered while you were getting your hair done.” Connie informed his friend from the couch. Jaime brought the bag over to Jean, a huge smile plastered on his face.

“Guess! Guess what I am!” he beamed.

“Elsa?” Jean teased as he pulled the tiny Hercules costume out of the bag. “Yup, you’re a princess.”

“No I’m not! I’m Hercules!” Jaime pouted, his lisp only making the statement more endearing.

“Are you sure? This looks like a princess outfit to me. “

“I’m not a princess! Princesses are dumb.”

“Hey now, that’s not fair to say.” Hitch warned as she strutted back into the room, now dawning a purple toga and her hair let down. Jean quirked an eyebrow as Jaime ran over to her.

“Meg!”

Connie turned around in time to see Hitch give Jean’s brother a tiny hug. “Hades, help Herc into his costume.”

“Yeah, yeah. Don’t forget I own you though.” Jean smirked as he walked towards his room. Jean ducked his head in time as a sandal flew by his head. Growing up with Hitch taught him some reflexes at least. “Ha! You miss-- ah!”

Hitch’s other sandal slapped him on his ass. “Get him dressed.”

\---

“Are you sure this is a good idea, Jean?” Armin wondered, just loud enough to be heard over the quiet hum of the car. A tiny Hercules bounced in his lap as the car drove over a pothole.

Jean looked over at his brother who seemed content riding on Armin’s leg. His brother would’ve pitched a fit about not trick or treating but the promise of lots of candy quickly quieted his fears. Was bringing his baby brother to a college party a bad idea? Probably. Was he gonna let that ruin his evening? “Nah, he’ll be fine. I doubt he’ll find the alcohol.”

Jaime seemed oblivious to concept of what a college party was so Jean wasn’t too worried. Annie shot him a wary look in the rearview, but said nothing.

Arriving at Ymir’s a second time did little to hinder Jean’s excitement for the night. As much as he tried to play it cool, his trademark scowl was replaced by a cocky smirk. He was ready to celebrate Halloween once more in his fantastic costume, eat candy, and maybe get a teensy bit drunk. It would be a good chance to unwind before the rush of November tests, projects, and weather. He might’ve also been a bit anxious to see Mikasa once again and talk things out now that they finally had an evening together.

“Okay, accessories.” Hitch announced, the last one to emerge from the car with a plastic bag.

“Accessories?” Annie quirked an eyebrow.

Hitch removed a tiny plastic sword with a pointed tip from the bag and passed it to Jaime. “Yes, like a sword for Herc.”

Little Hercules beamed widely and immediately started swinging it around. Jean grabbed him by his head and halted the frantic swinging. “Careful with that or I’ll take it away.”

“But it’s mine…” Jaime frowned.

“I know, just be safe and you can keep it.”

His little brother’s smile quickly returned, just as he was handed a lighter and can of body spray by Hitch. “Fire for the lord of the dead.”

“This is a terrible idea.”

“It’s brilliant.” Hitch disagreed. “For the ice queen herself, gloves. And for me, a rose.”

Annie took the turquoise gloves, donning them as Hitch showed off her white rose. She then tossed the bag to Armin. He almost dropped it, caught completely off guard. He wanted to toss it aside but he noticed there was still some weight in the bag, pulling out a tiny opaque jar. “What’s this?”

“Oh yeah, glitter for the fairy. Flaunt your gayness, Tinkerbell.” Hitch cracked a devious grin before bouncing off towards the party.

“But I’m not…” Armin mumbled to himself.

Annie followed after Hitch, bumping shoulders with Armin. “Keep telling yourself that, Tink.”

Giving up any remaining reservations, Armin slouched over and trailed the other two. Jean took a moment to watch him walk away before a sword poked him in the side. “Candy!” His little brother demanded.

The brothers walked towards the small gathering of people surrounding a table filled with snacks and drinks. Jean was incredibly thankful he saw only soda and a punch bowl. It took only a few seconds before he realized something important. “No juice tonight, ok?”

“Why?” Jaime stared up at him.

“Because mom and dad aren’t here so I want you to drink all the soda you want.”

Jaime’s smile fell open, in awe of what his big brother just said. “Really? But dad says-”

Jean cracked a big grin, suppressing his laughter at his brother’s lisp, before bending down and whispering into his ear. “It’ll be our little secret.”

Little Hercules ran off towards the drinks, and started jumping for Pepsi. Megara assisted him by fetching a cup and pouring him a drink, glancing back at Jean with a wicked grin on her face. For once they had the same train of thought.

Finally joining the group of people, Jean noticed that Reiner, Eren, and Mikasa had not arrived, giving him ample time to savor the moment until Eren discovered his prank. The idea of Eren’s face falling flat when he realized that he matched Armin and not Annie made Jean feel all warm and fuzzy inside. His crooked smile attracted the attention of the hostess of the party.

“What’s cooking, Hades?” Ymir popped up behind Jean, scaring him out of his thoughts.

“Not much err…” He looked Ymir up and down, unable to place what character had a white shirt, a blue jacket, and dark pants. He almost asked what she was when he saw the skillet in her hand. “Flynn Rider?”

“Bingo, frat boy.”

Jean rolled his eyes at the nickname. “I’m Lord of the dead, not a frat boy, _Eugene_.”

The skillet quickly found its way to Jean’s neck, causing him to stumble backwards into a tree, pinned in place by cast iron weapon. “Call me that one more time and more than just your flame will go out tonight.”

Jean nodded furiously. Content with the reaction, Ymir lowered her weapon and pulled Jean back from the tree. “Wait, what does that even mean?”

“Dunno but it sounded cool. Now let’s drink!”

Ymir dragged him by his toga towards the punch bowl, unable to escape her festive spirit and demands.

\---

Jean slowly sipped from his red solo cup, keeping an eye out for Mikasa and Eren. Ever since the last party at Ymir’s place Mikasa had been wary of Jean. He had seen her when he worked out and they still texted but it felt more distant than usual. Tonight was going to be his chance to hopefully clear things up and maybe get another kiss if Jaime wasn’t following him around. Eren had been the one who convinced her to come so maybe using Armin to prank him wasn’t the kindest thing to do. It was going to be hilarious though.

His little brother kept to his side as more people arrived to the party, only daring to escape for more precious soda or candy. Occasionally Hitch would take over watching him when Jean felt the need to drink some liquid confidence. During one such drink run Jean noticed Reiner’s truck pull in. In the fall sunset he saw all four doors to the car open, revealing Reiner, Bertl, Eren, and Mikasa. Panic raced through Jean’s veins and his quickly downed what remained of his drink, grabbing a refill before going to meet his girlfriend.

As he refilled his drink another person bumped him aside and started filling their cup instead.

“Hey, watch it!” Jean warned. He glared at the rude person, his anger subsiding slightly when he recognized Ymir. She quickly refilled her cup, completely ignoring Jean, and walked towards the new arrivals to greet her boyfriend.

While Jean expected a warm welcome for Bertl, he was surprised to see otherwise.

“ _Disney!_ ” Ymir greeted Bertl and Reiner, both flinching by her sudden appearance. They stared awkwardly at each other for a few seconds as Ymir continued. “I said Disney themed and you two show up as this?”

Reiner wore a blue shirt with a single white star on it and blue jeans. Bertl wore a suit with what looked like a light disk on the center of it.

“Uh, this is Disney.” Reiner defended. While he dug into a Target bag that hung on his arms, his two passengers sneaked around him and waddled awkwardly towards the party and away from the fight. Revealing some props from the bag, Reiner dawned a Captain America mask and a matching shield, both comically small for his size. The shield was the size of a Frisbee and clearly meant for a kid around Jaime’s age, not a bulked up college student. Bertl merely shuffled on his feet for a few seconds.

“Well… I’m Tony Stark and he’s, uh, Steve Rogers.” He explained to his fuming girlfriend.

“I know Captain American and Ironman when I see them. I wanna know-“ Ymir spat back before Reiner cut in.

“Who belong to Marvel which is owned by Disney.” Reiner reasoned. Ymir opened her mouth to protest but no words escaped her. A low groan finally emerged and she placed a hand over her eyes.

“Fine, just set-up the music please.”

Bertl nodded furiously before running off towards the field, leaving Reiner with a miffed host. She shot him a dirty look before finally retreating back to the drink table for more alcohol.

Jean muffled his laughter when Ymir passed him, grumbling to herself. Reiner was right. Ymir was pissed but it was also quite hilarious.

During the commotion he almost missed the hot pink corvette pulling into the dirt parking lot. He recognized that obnoxious car anywhere. Krista jumped out of the driver’s seat and onto the compact dirt, careful not to dirty her white and pink Rapunzel costume. At least she was as predictable as ever.

“Krista!” he called out. She looked over for the source of the voice, nearly missing Jean’s clever costume. She beamed widely when he recognized him and skipped on over.

“Hades? How did you manage this?” She wondered, her eyes scanning over his suit for the details. “Hitch?”

“Hitch.” Jean confirmed. Like always, she knew the answer to her question before he could respond.

“Do you know where the host is? I wanna thank her for this awesome party.”

“Look for Freckled Flynn Rider.”

“She’s _Flynn Rider_?! This night just keeps getting better and better.”

That tone could only mean one thing for Krista. Jean chuckled and offered some advice, “She has a boyfriend so try not to be too clingy.”

Krista’s shoulders slumped and she heaved a sigh. “So close. Oh well, I gotta at least thank her. See you around.”

With her last words, Rapunzel resumed her journey and skipped towards the punch bowl. 

Finally having some time for himself, Jean built up what confidence he had and went to go find his girlfriend and roommate. His search was cut short by someone latching onto his leg. “Play with me.”

Jean bent down to rub his little brother’s hair. “In a little bit, Jaime. I gotta talk to Mikasa quickly.”

“Play with me now.” Hercules demanded.

“Don’t worry, Hades, I got this.” Hitch smiled as she reappeared. It was not very often he felt thanks for Hitch, but this was one of those few moments. “Wanna play Hide and Seek?”

“Yes! Me first!” Jaime bolted off towards the woods immediately. Hitch groaned when she realized she picked a poor choice for a game.

“I owe you one.”

“You owe me two now. Also, you look like you could use this more than me.” Hitch offered him her white rose. “It’s real so she should like that.”

Jean nodded and quickly grabbed the flower.

It took all thirty seconds to find Peter Pan standing in the shadow of a tree with Mikasa, both wearing serious expressions. He walked over towards them, making his presence known and forcing them to wrap up their conversation.

“Jaeger, Mikasa!” He greeted. Both turned their heads and Jean soon realized that Mikasa was dressed up as well. She was Mulan. He also froze in his tracks when he realized that her hair was not also significantly shorter then when he last saw her.

Eren wore a cocky grin and Mikasa had a shy smile on her face. “Hey, Kirschtein.”

“Wh-what happened to her hair?” Jean sputtered, causing Mikasa’s smile to fall flat.

“Oh, I thought she should go all out for Mulan so we cut it! She’ll need help fixing it though because Youtube tutorials are not as good as we hoped.” Eren explained, proud of his handiwork.

“And you didn’t tell me?”

“Surprise!” Eren grinned. Jean remained frozen from shock, almost dropping the flower in his hands. “What do you think?”

“What do I think?” Jean scoffed, as if his opinion wasn’t obvious to everyone. “I don’t like it.”

Eren’s eyes widened and Mikasa looked towards the ground. “What do you mean you don’t like it? It completes the costume!”

“She shouldn’t have cut her hair just for a costume. At least she could’ve asked me first!”

“Why does she need to talk to you about cutting her hair? It’s her hair.”

“Because I’m her boyfriend and I really liked it that way!”

“Wow.” Eren retorted. “You should like her no matter what her hair is.”

Anger pulsed through Jean’s veins, absolutely livid with Eren’s response. He wanted to punch him on his scarred nose. But the universe gave him a reminder that karma came faster than predicted sometimes. 

“Stay out of this, Jaeger.” Jean practically growled his name.

“Fine, I’m going to go find Annie.”

Jean’s scowl turned into a smirk at the mention of that. “Yeah, go find your Tinkerbell, Peter Pan.” Venom seethed into the suggestion, Eren somehow oblivious to it.

Eren shrugged and flipped Jean the bird on his way passed him. Free from distractions, Jean finally faced Mikasa and gave her a once over before taking a deep breath to cool his anger. If he really was Hades his hair would be a wildfire after that exchange.

“I’m sorry about that. You still look very pretty, it just caught me really off guard.” Jean gave his girlfriend a gentle smile. “You make a fantastic Mulan, hair and all.”

Mikasa gave him a passive look, almost as if she was disappointed in him. “Thanks, Hades.”

It was impossible to not notice the hint of sadness in her voice.

“What’s wrong?”

“Seriously, Jean? You just argued with Eren over my hair. You didn’t tell me you were going to dye yours.”

“But this is temporary! You actually cut yours. You knew how much I liked it long.”

“Yes, but I also thought you liked me regardless.”

Jean paused, unable to make a comeback. Mikasa let out another sigh before walking passed him, barely brushing his shoulder. He stood still, silently reflecting on the conversation for a few moments. “Shit.”

\---

After recovering his senses, Jean rushed back towards the mass of people to at least hopefully see the fruits of his labor. Timing was on his side when he saw Eren pushing his way through the crowd, still unable to find Annie or Armin. Jean was able to spot Armin talking to a group of girls on the outside, chatting idly. As soon as Jean noticed him, Eren made a bee line straight towards Tinkerbell. Luck was in Jean’s favor when he realized Armin had his back towards Eren.

He swiftly shuffled over near Armin’s area, able to maneuver quickly around the crowd unlike Eren who seemed to prefer to push through people on the way there. Once an appropriate spot had been found, Jean leaned on a nearby tree and waited to watch something beautiful unfold. He entirely missed the person following him through the shadows.

Eren slowly approached Tinkerbell from behind, slowing to a halt as the object of his affections was within reach. His normally fierce gaze softened as he struggled to will himself further. He took his time to boost his confidence before approaching again, gaining the attention of the girls around Tinkerbell.

From behind Eren could see Tinkerbell’s mostly bare legs, her poofy leafy skirt, the glittery wings that bounced with every laugh and subtle movement, and his blond hair that was tied into a bun with a teal ribbon. What he couldn’t see, and that Jean could, was Armin’s expression when he greeted him.

“Hey, Tinkerbell.” Eren began, instantly ending the girls’ conversation with Armin.

“Oh my God it’s Peter.” One of the girls mentioned, giggling to herself. “That’s so precious.”

Tinkerbell froze in place, becoming rigid in less than a second as he realized who was behind him.

“I-I I’ve thought… for a really long time, which I don’t normally do, that you’re one of the smartest, prettiest, and most bad ass people I’ve ever known.” Eren struggled to put into words. Meanwhile Armin started to tremble at the words being said. “Wh-what I’m trying to say is- oh screw it. Annie, I really fucking like you!”

Jean was grinning from ear to ear as he watched this scene unfold. Not only had Eren confessed to Armin instead of Annie, the idiot did it surrounded by a small crowd. He could not have asked for better conditions. Maybe if Annie saw this unfold, but Jean was fine with how it turned out.

Eren waited nervously for Armin’s response, but he remained frozen in place. The look on Armin’s face was one of absolute shock as his mouth was pressed shut and his eyes very wide. The crowd around him remained silent, minus a few gasps from the girls. Eventually Armin slowly turned around to reveal the horrible truth.

“Eren?” he mumbled.

Jean watched with gleeful anticipation as the look on Eren’s face slowly transformed from a nervous smile to one of absolute surprise. His mouth opened slightly, as the red color from his cheeks drained. “Ar-min?”

The crowd started to murmur as Eren discovered his grave mistake and stood in place aghast, unable to respond anymore. Rather than watch the rest of the fireworks fly, Jean placed a hand over his mouth to hide his snickering as he decided the best course of action was to remain hidden until Eren’s inevitable anger passed.

He turned around and bumped straight into someone’s chest.

“Kirschtein?” A surprised voice called out.

“The hell?” Jean replied before looking up at a face full of freckles, thankfully the face that didn’t terrify him. “Oh, Bodt. What are you doing here?”

“Well it’s Ymir’s party, why wouldn’t I be here?”

“Touché. I wanna talk but I gotta lay low for a little bit. Follow me.” Jean grabbed onto Marco’s wrist as he pulled him towards the woods and away from the deafening silence surrounding Eren and Armin. He had no idea when that was going to explode but he didn’t need to be around for the damage.

Marco remained quiet as Jean guided him through the woods and out towards the lake, eventually stopping by the tree on the opposite side of the lake. Once the felt like they were safe, Jean fell onto his ass and started howling with laughter. Confused by his reaction, Marco sat on his left and started rubbing the back of his head.

“What’s going on?” he wondered. 

“Not much, just enjoying the highlight of my evening.” Jean smirked once his laughter died down.

“Uh, thanks?” Marco replied, flushing slightly in fading sunlight.

With his laughter contained, Jean finally gave Marco a once over to see his costume. Marco was wearing a brown flat cap, reminiscent of a 1920’s cabbie, with a matching sweater vest. Underneath the sweater vest was a white button down shirt and orange tie, complete with khaki pants and dress shoes. He looked about as formal as usual except his hair. Where his hair parted , the front few strands were twirled in opposite directions. It was an interesting choice but it didn’t make Jean’s TA any less handsome.

“What happened to the fact this was a costume party? You still look like Levi’s bitch,” Jean coarsely commented. Marco flinched at the choice of words, causing a pang of guilt in Jean’s chest.

“I am in costume.” To further emphasize his point, Marco produced a ukulele from his side somehow Jean had missed. He waited for Jean to take a guess, but he was only given silence, so Marco chuckled as he revealed it. “Prince Naveen? Princess and the Frog?”

Jean unfurrowed his brow as he remembered the character. “Oh yeah, the hot guy from New Orleans.”

“Something like that.” Marco smiled. “I like your Hades get-up. It suits you.”

“More than you know.”

Jean grinned once again as he thought of Eren’s look of horror at seeing Armin instead of Annie. Well he wanted to call it a look of horror but it was more a look of shock. Either way, he was dead meat if Eren found him that evening.

“Enough of these cryptic messages. What’s going on?”

“I pulled the ol’ bait and switch on Eren. The look on his face was fucking gold.”

“Wait, you mean the confession I saw?”

“Bingo. He thought Armin was Annie. I’m not sure you’ve met her but Eren has been crushing on her for a long while so I saw a chance to prank him. It worked perfectly.”

“So that was your fault?” Marco wanted confirmation so Jean gave him a nod and a crooked smile.

“Brilliant, eh?”

“No!” Marco shook his head, his free hand flying up. He set his ukulele down as he turned to give Jean his full attention. “That’s just cruel.”

“Cruel? It was just a joke. Besides, he had it coming,” Jean disagreed, pressing his lips into a frown.

“Playing with people’s feelings is no joke. How would you feel if that happened to you?”

Jean pursed his lips and his gaze wandered towards the lake. He already knew how that felt like, kind of. “Eren did it first.”

That was a lie but Jean still felt justified in saying it.

“So what? That doesn’t mean you should keep doing it. You both are just going to keep pissing each other off. I thought you two were friends.”

“We’re something.” Jean rolled his eyes.

“You’re what? Enemies, exes?” Marco boldly asked.

“What?! No, never!” Jean quickly shook his head, his cheeks reddening. His hands flew in front of him and shook as quickly as his head. Marco quirked an eyebrow and gave Jean a skeptical look, but he let it fall.

“I don’t know what your beef with him is but it’s not healthy if you’re doing stuff like that to each other. You gotta get passed that.”

“Ok wise guy, you ever done that before?” Jean asked, not hiding his bitterness. It wasn’t his TA’s place to be all preachy to him, yet Marco offered his unsolicited advice.

“Yes, actually.” Marco stared back at the lake as a tiny smile crept onto his face, as if he were reminiscing fondly. “Wasn’t easy but it worked out for the better.”

“Who?” Jean inquired.

Marco gave a sideways look at Jean, before shrugging. “I don’t remember. It might jog my memory if you and Eren work your problems out though.”

Jean squinted at him, clearly unimpressed at his TA’s coy smile. Marco’s eyes glanced downwards and noticed the flower resting on Jean’s toga. Jean followed his gaze, picking up the flower and twirling it around in his hand. “A gift from Megara.”

“For?”

“Owning her.”

Marco giggled before picking up his ukulele, idly plucking at a few strings. “It didn’t work out between you two either?”

Jean recoiled from disgust as he quickly shook his head once more. “No. Never. Not happening.”

“Who was the flower for then?”

Silence lingered in the air as Jean reflected on that conversation earlier in the evening. “Mulan. But I screwed that one up to.”

“You’re on a roll tonight.”

“Tell me about it,” Jean sighed. “Here.”

Jean passed the white rose over to Marco, dropping it by his ukulele. He nudged him with his elbow to grab his attention. Marco picked up the rose and smelled it, before giving Jean another skeptical look. “Shouldn’t this go to like Mulan or someone you actually like?”

“I like you.” Jean casually shrugged his shoulders. “And you’re probably the only person who might not hate me after tonight. Friends?”

Marco gave him another playful smile before returning to plucking the strings on his instrument. “I thought that was already clear.”

Jean snorted as he listened to the lazy sounds of the ukulele. His moment of peace ended with a sharp poke into his side. “Play with me.”

“What the hell- Oh Jaime.” Jean fell into Marco’s lap as his brother emerged from the bush next to the tree. A little Hercules smiled, leaves covering his hair, as he poked his brother again. However his brother noticed the second person and immediately shrunk behind Jean’s lopsided legs.

“Who’s this?” Marco questioned.

“Marco, this is my nephew Hercules. Isn’t he a precious little sunspot? He’s also known as my brother Jaime.”

Marco put on his best warm smile and extended a hand to the little Hercules. “I’m Marco, nice to meet you Jaime.”

Jean shivered at Marco’s almost flawless pronunciation of his brother’s name. It also made him realized he’d never actually heard Marco address him by his name at all.

“Marco?” Jaime peeped his head out. His soft pronunciation of the r in Marco’s name made Marco press his lips into a tight smile, giggling to himself.

“That’s right.”

Jaime shrugged before returning his attention to his brother. He reached behind him and pulled out a plastic bag, dumping the contents onto Jean’s lap. It was Jean’s lighter and body spray. “Play with me.”

Before Jean could give a coherent response, a muffled conversation caught his attention and he turned his head towards the entrance of the woods. Two people were quickly approaching. 

“Uh, hide and seek, except we all hide.” He swiftly grabbed the lighter, spray, and his brother and rolled back towards the bush next to the tree. Marco followed his lead and moved into the underbrush as they waited to see who approached.

“We can’t all hide here.” His brother frowned.

“When Meg finds us, I’ll get you more candy. How does that sound?”

His brother grinned from ear to ear and furiously nodded his head.

“Just stay quiet, ok?” Marco gently reminded him.

The two people walking out of the woods and towards the lake were decently far apart, with their heads remaining low. They were mumbling stuff to each other yet not facing each other.

As they neared the tree, Jean recognized both Eren and Armin looking rather flushed as they walked closer. Armin was in the lead as Eren occasionally looked up to glance at his back before quickly glancing down once more.

“Look ‘Min, I didn’t know,” Eren muttered as they reached the tree, thankfully unaware of the trio hiding in the bushes.

“It’s fine.”

“I swear I thought you were Annie.”

“It’s fine.”

“If I had known then…”

“It’s fine.”

“I swear I’m gonna kill-”

“Eren, _its fine_. Don’t kill anyone. You got tricked, it’s nothing new.”

“But Jean-”

“Tricked you after you tricked him.”

“Yeah, but he used you!” Eren complained, gritting his teeth at the thought. He kicked his foot into the ground, digging it into the dirt.

Armin quickly turned around and shot him a dark glare. “And you used Mikasa. And both of us are tired of being caught in your stupid feud.”

“Please, I’m doing her a favor.” Eren crossed his arms, still not meeting Armin’s unpleasant gaze.

“And I’m sure Jean was doing you the same.”

“How?” Eren turned his head to meet Armin, but quickly dropped it when he saw how unhappy his friend was.

“Ask him instead of blaming him.”

“But he-”

“Doesn’t know!” Armin cut him off once again. “You can blame him all you want but it won’t help anything. You’re going to have to tell him!”

“No!”

“Oh my God, why are you being so childish still?!”

“He took away my-”

“My dignity tonight. And Mikasa probably would feel the same after the stunt you pulled. Get over it, please.”

Armin was clearly fuming, and Eren still refused to look at him. Jean could sense the tension, surprised by the fight. He was expecting them to be ripping him a new one, yet Armin seemed more focused on something else. But their conversation was also cut short by some shouts coming from across the lake once again. Both boys snapped their heads towards the noise and quickly shuffled around. Their eyes met the bushes next to the tree and Jean’s blood instantly ran cold.

_Don’t do it._

“Eren, bush.”

“Way ahead of you, ‘Min.”

_Shit._

Both boys quickly ran into the bushes, knocking into Jean and Marco. Jaime smiled and opened his mouth but Jean quickly covered his brother’s mouth as his two roommates stared at him and Marco.

When Eren met his gaze, his roommate’s fierce blue eyes steeled and he opened his mouth. Jean quickly covered it too, not wanting their cover blown.

“Jaeger, stop! You can’t-” Jean tried to muffle his yelling. He succeeded in quieting his mouth, but not in stopping Eren’s fist from connecting with the side of his head. Armin restrained Eren from another blow as Jean regained his bearings. “Fine, Ok. I deserved that.”

The shouting of the group coming out the woods stomped any more opportunity for conversation. Due to the dark Jean couldn’t make out who all was in the group until they got closer. Apparently the tree by the lake just happened to be the popular spot of the evening. When the group arrived, Jean counted six people, including someone in a bathrobe surrounded by five others. Everyone in the bush went wide eyed when they saw Connie in the center.

“Now what’s so important that I can’t drown my sorrows in candy corn and alcohol?” Connie crossed his arms.

“You’ve been ignoring us. And you owe me money.” A tiny girl at the front answered. The boys recognized Mina, their old RA.

“I’ve been practicing smash and getting money to pay off Pringles chick.” Connie explained himself, still unhappy with those around him. “Besides, that weed was communal. You never charged for it before.”

“That changed after you _abandoned_ us to the cops.” One of the guys frowned. Jean squinted to try and make out the man’s image, eventually recognizing him as Thomas Wagner, their old roommte.

“I locked myself up for my safety, you guys knew that. Now I’m indebted to your Sasha.” Connie shrugged. “She’s already going to ream me a new one for breaking that contract already.”

“That’s your own damn fault. You could’ve come to bail us out or at least visit.” Mina scoffed, quietly chewing at her lip.

“With what money? You know I’m friggin’ poor.”

“You just entered another Smash Brothers tournament.” Thomas pointed out, also chewing on his lip.

“And I lost to fucking Brotato again, the world ain’t fair now is it? I don’t owe you guys shit for weed or bail. I pay off Sasha first and the rest of my money goes back to video games and food like before. And weed probably.” Connie admitted, shrugging towards the end.

“At least apologize to us then.” Mina requested. “And say you’ll pay us back.”

“For what? It’s your fault you got caught and lost the weed!”

“I didn’t want to do this but… guys grab him.” Mina ordered. The two boys behind Connie quickly grabbed his arms and held him in place as he tried to shake them off. She approached him and pulled off his hat.

“What are you doing? Let me go!” Connie demanded. “Let Barry go, too!”

“You and your names for every damn thing. What’s your hair called?” Mina questioned.

“My luscious locks don’t need a name, now let me go and give me back Barry!” Mina shook her head and opened her mouth, pulling out a piece of gum. She tossed Barry into the lake. “Barry!”

“Oh let it go and worry about yourself,” Mina advised.

Jean grit his teeth out of frustration as he watched his friend lose his favorite possession. He started to move but Armin placed a hand on his shoulder, shaking his head.

A shriek caught all their attention though when they saw Connie screaming bloody murder. “No! Don’t you fucking dare!”

Mina gave him a twisted smile before putting the gum in his hair. As he shook to get out of his captor’s embrace, the other guys approached and put more gum into his hair. Thomas pulled a pair of scissors out of his pocket as Jean finally snapped.

He turned to his little brother and whispered into his ear. “You know that spot I hate when you run into me?”

“Your ouchie spot?” Jaime turned his head curiously.

“Yeah, I want you to go poke your sword into that guy’s ouchie spot.”

“Why?”

“Cause he’s being mean to Connie”

Before Jaime could grab his sword, Eren was already out of the bush and running at the group and tackled one of the guys on the side. Jaime ran out next with his sword, shrieking as he ran straight ahead and planted the sword into Thomas’ crotch. The blond shouted in agony as he fell backwards into the lake. Jean bolted next with his stuff in one hand. The scissors flew out of someone’s hands as the commotion began, and Jean kicked one of the guy’s holding Connie in his back. With one hand free, Connie decked the other guy in a rage.

“What in the hell?!” Mina yelled.

“She said a bad word.” Jaime pointed out.

“Don’t fucking curse in front of my brother!” Jean demanded as he lit the lighter. He placed it in front of him and pressed the spray. He underestimated the strength of the spray as a giant flame burst in front of him and flew straight into Mina’s face. What was meant to be a deterrent was now scorching his former RA’s face.

Mina recoiled from the heat and tripped backwards, landing into the freezing lake. Not too far behind her were Eren and the guy he was brawling with. The person that Connie decked ran away towards the woods but only got so far as the entrance before a metal sound echoed through the night.

“What is going on?!” Ymir shouted from the woods, skillet in hand. Everyone by the lake stopped what they were doing, Armin and Marco finally emerging from the bushes. Connie continued to have a mini panic attack, falling to his knees. Mina trudged out of the lake with her friends. One had Eren by the collar and pulled him out with him. He pulled his arm back for a punch, Eren closing his eyes as he braced for impact.

“Let him go!” Armin demanded. The guy stopped what he was doing, taking a moment to laugh at Armin.

“Or what Tinkerbell?”

“I’ll have all your asses put back in jail for a lot longer than a week you simpleton. Drop Eren and get out of here.” Armin warned, stepping closer to the group emerging from the lake. He pulled out his jar of glitter as he approached the group. The guy holding Eren snorted as he dropped the angry brunet. 

“Like hell you can,” He laughed.

“Charles, back off,” Mina calmly ordered. The boy look stunned and stared at her.

“You gotta be kidding me.”

“No I’m not.”

Armin opened the jar and dumped it on the guy. He froze in shock as glitter coated him from head to toe.

“Now back off and leave us alone. If _any of you_ so much as comes to our room or threatens any of us again, I’ll follow through on that promise. Now go.” Armin threatened. Mina shook her head and quickly motioned for them to leave. They darted off into the brush around Ymir as she marched over.

“What in the hell is happening?” She demanded to know.

Jaime ran back to hide behind Jean, placing his brother in between him and Ymir. Armin tended to a shivering Eren while Connie remained on the ground grasping at hair that was cut off during the scuffle. He touched his hair and whimpered when he felt the gum pieces.

If Jean had learned anything this evening, there was definitely a grain of truth in Marco’s words about pissing people off being childish.

He looked back at Marco, almost surprised to see him grasping onto the white rose like his life depended on it.

\---

“I’m not sleepy,” Jaime complained as Jean tucked him into his bed. Offering his baby brother a small smile, he shook his head and went to his closet to fetch something to hopefully allow his brother to drift off. He returned with a plush crocodile, half the size of his brother, and placed it on his chest. Immediately the plushie was brought into a strong embrace that made it seem like he would squeeze in half. “Soft.”

“Yeah, he’ll protect you from all the monsters,” Jean reassured, pretending to be serious. His brother vigorously nodded his head before turning over on his side. As he was leaving, Jean noticed some smiley faced band-aids on Jaime’s arm in the crook of his left elbow. He merely shrugged off the detail as he returned out into his dorm to the sound of a buzzing echoing around the apartment.

In the living room Armin and Marco sat at the table talking mumbling about scientific theories while Eren planted himself on the couch, grumbling as he played against computers on Mario kart. Jean joined Eren on the couch, grunting an acknowledgement to each other as he watched Eren attempt to not fall off Rainbow Road. As Eren passed the finish line, the door to the dorm opened and Sasha filed in, still dressed in a brown bathrobe.

After returning from the party, Jean learned that Sasha was the one who drove Connie there after his loss at the tournament. She found him moping and offered him a bathrobe and lightsaber. Once they informed Ymir that Star Wars was indeed owned by Disney, the two Jedi meandered into the party and promptly got separated at the food station. Connie’s former friends stalked him there, grabbed him, and forced him to go to the lake where Jean watched it all unfold.

“How’s the damage?” Sasha asked everyone. Those paying attention only offered shrugs. In the dark they could see Connie’s hair was a mess, stuck to pieces of gum and cut at awkward angles. It was a good thing that Hitch had her hair supplies already in the dorm.

“We’ll see after Hitch works her magic,” Jean answered.

As if on cue, the loud hum of the trimmer ceased and all heads turned towards the bathroom. Soft voices could be heard in there talking along with a few whimpers. The door opened after a few moments to reveal an exhausted Hitch. She glanced over at Armin.

“Do you guys have a dustpan? It’s a bit hairy in there.” Hitch requested. Armin nodded in understanding, running off to his room to find the cleaning supplies.

“Were you able to save him?” Jean asked the question on everyone’s mind.

Hitch rolled her eyes at the dramatic wording and shook her head. “The prognosis was grim doctor but he had two options. Either look like Skrillex or try an experimental procedure.”

“Which one did he pick nurse?”

“Call me nurse one more time and I’ll shove a stethoscope so far up your ass that you’ll be hearing your heartbeat through your asshole.”

“Hitch, what did he do?” Jean ignored the threat.

“Experimental procedure.”

Armin returned with a broom and dustpan, ready to help with whatever Hitch needed. Hitch collected the cleaning supplies and walked into the bathroom, leaving everyone outside impatiently waiting to see the results. Everyone gradually returned to their previous chatter until Hitch exited with Connie, whose head was wrapped up in a towel. She guided him to the trashcan where she dumped the dustpan. Connie followed her lead and bent over, opening the towel and letting small pieces of hair fall down into the bin.

When he pulled back up, a few eyes in the room popped open. His experimental procedure meant shaving his entire head. It was the first time Jean could recall his friend not only having shorter hair than him, but also not really having it. Connie wasn’t bald, with only a small puff of hair all around his head. It didn’t look terrible, just different.

And Connie was about as happy about the situation as Jean expected him to be. He wore a frown that was unsuited for his face, a face normally full of snark and joy. Somehow he also seemed small, like he wasn’t carrying his full weight around. It wasn’t a happy sight for Jean.

While waiting for everyone’s reaction, the door swung open and Reiner came in cackling. His boisterous nature quickly quieted when he found everyone in a mood somewhere between melancholic and tense. He turned to face Connie and his eyes instantly brightened.

“You shaved it? You look great, man!” Reiner announced, nudging him on the shoulder. Connie’s frown flattened at the compliment and some color returned to his jaded eyes. His giant blond friend took a seat at the table and he fell into laughter once more, almost killing the mood he helped create. “Sorry, I’m just processing what Bertl said.”

“And what’s that?” Connie asked, his voice weaker than usual.

“Well, he smoothed things over with Ymir. Go figure those guys weren’t invited or even dressed up so she kicked them out,” Reiner elaborated. “As they were leaving he managed to catch a glimpse of the damage my boys did and—oh God.”

Reiner succumbed to his laughter and allowed his head to hit the table. 

“So, what’d we do?” Eren paused the game, curiosity getting the best of him.

“You might’ve broken his nose, they can’t tell.” Eren pumped a fist into the air, clearly happy with himself. Reiner then turned to face Jean and gave him an incredulous look. “But you… you goddamn pyro. You made me proud.”

“How’s Mina?” Jean casually wondered.

“You burned off some of her bangs and one and a half eyebrows. She looks atrocious.”

“Good, the bitch deserves it.” A voice commented. Jean was fully expecting that outburst from Connie, but no one expected it from Sasha. She was leaning on the counter with her arms crossed, everyone now facing her with looks ranging from agreement to surprise. Even Connie had a look of wide-eyed astonishment. “What?”

“I… I couldn’t agree more.” Connie blinked a few times. Seeing Sasha pissed was a new sight.

Marco was the first to start laughing, its contagious nature spreading to Jean first. Soon a light bubble of joy filled the room and everyone was sharing in the hilarious news that Reiner brought. Jean and Eren were leaning on each other for support as laughter wracked their bodies, while Armin and Marco joined Reiner face down on the table. Hitch fell against the door and grabbed her knees to keep herself upright. Connie let out loud heaves that barely qualified as laughter as he was grinning from ear to ear, nothing forced about it. Sasha was the only one who remained composed, but she still offered them all a wide grin.

“I still have a blood drive in the morning so I’ll see you guys later. Oh and Connie, this is for you.” Sasha informed the gaggle of gigglers. She passed a bag of Doritos over to Connie, catching him off guard.

“Hamburger flavored? How did you know?” He stopped momentarily to admire the gift.

“They were the only ones you didn’t give me outright, I assumed you liked them.”

“You assumed right, Pringles.”

Connie quickly hugged her before tearing open the bag and munching on the chips with no regards for his manners. That signaled the end of the festivities and people began to shuffle out and back to their rooms. Sasha exited after her gift was delivered while Hitch and Reiner quickly followed behind her. Eren turned off the N64 and started hobbling back to his room, with Armin jumping to support him on his way back. Connie retreated back to his corner of the world to eat his evening away.

Jean remained behind on the couch, slowly stretching his arms over his head. He took notice of Marco still sitting at his table. “Yes, Bodt?”

“You burned her eyebrows off.” He repeated in disbelief.

“To be fair, she still has half of one.” That got Marco snickering again, a rather pleasant sound to Jean’s ears. “I know it was contrary to your whole apology thing but she had it coming.”

“She did attack first.” Marco shrugged. “I should probably go get some sleep, take care Kirstchein.”

“You too, Bodt.”

As Marco turned to leave, Jean noticed him still holding onto the white rose from earlier, somehow not destroyed in the scuffle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So four weeks turned into four months and I apologize. I'm in ym last year of college so classes were a priority on top of relocating countries again. Good news is I haven't forgotten the story nor will I leave it hanging, so I hope this longer update makes some of you guys happy. Bad news is I probably can only update once a month now so I'll try to keep to that.
> 
> Anyways the ships have set sail like I promised and I'm curious what people think about everything that happened this chapter between everyone. Thanks for reading and as always all kudos, comments or messages on [tumblr](http://firegrilled.tumblr.com/) are appreciated. Feedback helps me improve and I love hearing people's thoughts!
> 
> Next Time: Sigma nu Kappa Fraternity vs Professor Levi Ackerman

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't written a story in a while, but writing fanfiction is also a first for me. I fell into this fandom completely on accident but I haven't regretted it.
> 
> This story was the result of being detained in London for a few hours and I had some time to kill while I was in the city. Its been hashed out for a long time and is still being hashed out so its still a work in progress. I got an idea so we'll see where it goes.
> 
> Thank you all for reading it and a special thanks to my friends who helped me figure out details and encouraged me to actually write the damn thing. I also wanna thank Kenjiandco for the final kick to get this written. 
> 
> I got a story to tell so here it is!
> 
> All feedback is appreciated and I got a tumblr with the same name if you want to send a message!


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